第3章

Shelookedup，becamesuddenlyawarethatsheandherquestionerwerethecentreofinteresttothewholecircleofpassengers，and，withaslightriseofcolor，returned，"Yes。”

"Well，MissMullins，I\'vegotaquestionortwotoaskye。Iaskitstraightoutaforethiscrowd。It\'sinmyrightstotakeyeasideandaskit——butthatain\'tmystyle；I\'mnodetective。I

needn\'taskitatall，butactasefIknowedtheanswer，orI

mightleaveittobeaskedbyothers。Yeneedn\'tansweritefyedon\'tlike；ye\'vegotafriendoverther——JudgeThompson——whoisafriendtoye，rightorwrong，jestasanyothermanhereis——asthoughye\'dpackedyourownjury。Well，thesimplequestionI\'vegottoaskyeisTHIS:DidyousignaltoanybodyfromthecoachwhenwepassedGalloper\'sanhourago？"

WeallthoughtthatBill\'scourageandaudacityhadreacheditsclimaxhere。Toopenlyandpubliclyaccusea"lady"beforeagroupofchivalrousCalifornians，andthatladypossessingthefurtherattractionsofyouth，goodlooks，andinnocence，waslittleshortofdesperation。Therewasanevidentmovementofadhesiontowardsthefairstranger，aslightmutteringbrokeoutontheright，buttheveryboldnessoftheactheldtheminstupefiedsurprise。

JudgeThompson，withablandpropitiatorysmilebegan:"Really，Bill，Imustprotestonbehalfofthisyounglady"——whenthefairaccused，raisinghereyestoheraccuser，totheconsternationofeverybodyansweredwiththeslightbutconvincinghesitationofconscientioustruthfulness:——

"IDID。”

"Ahem!"interposedtheJudgehastily，"er——thatis——er——youallowedyourhandkerchieftoflutterfromthewindow，——Inoticeditmyself，——casually——onemightsayevenplayfully——butwithoutanyparticularsignificance。”

Thegirl，regardingherapologistwithasingularminglingofprideandimpatience，returnedbriefly:——

"Isignaled。”

"Whodidyousignalto？"askedBillgravely。

"TheyounggentlemanI\'mgoingtomarry。”

Astart，followedbyaslighttitterfromtheyoungerpassengers，wasinstantlysuppressedbyasavageglancefromBill。

"Whatdidyousignaltohimfor？"hecontinued。

"TotellhimIwashere，andthatitwasallright，"returnedtheyounggirl，withasteadilyrisingprideandcolor。

"Wotwasallright？"demandedBill。

"ThatIwasn\'tfollowed，andthathecouldmeetmeontheroadbeyondCass\'sRidgeStation。”Shehesitatedamoment，andthen，withastillgreaterpride，inwhichayouthfuldefiancewasstillmingled，said:

"I\'verunawayfromhometomarryhim。AndImeanto!Noonecanstopme。Daddidn\'tlikehimjustbecausehewaspoor，anddad\'sgotmoney。DadwantedmetomarryamanIhate，andgotalotofdressesandthingstobribeme。”

"Andyou\'retakingtheminyourtrunktotheotherfeller？"saidBillgrimly。

"Yes，he\'spoor，"returnedthegirldefiantly。

"Thenyourfather\'snameisMullins？"askedBill。

"It\'snotMullins。I——I——tookthatname，"shehesitated，withherfirstexhibitionofself-consciousness。

"WotIShisname？"

"EliHemmings。”

Asmileofreliefandsignificancewentroundthecircle。ThefameofElior"Skinner"Hemmings，asanotoriousmiserandusurer，hadpassedevenbeyondGalloper\'sRidge。

"Thestepthatyou\'retaking，MissMullins，Ineednottellyou，isoneofgreatgravity，"saidJudgeThompson，withacertainpaternalseriousnessofmanner，inwhich，however，weweregladtodetectaglaringaffectation；"andItrustthatyouandyouraffiancedhavefullyweighedit。Farbeitfrommetointerferewithorquestionthenaturalaffectionsoftwoyoungpeople，butmayIaskyouwhatyouknowofthe——er——younggentlemanforwhomyouaresacrificingsomuch，and，perhaps，imperilingyourwholefuture？Forinstance，haveyouknownhimlong？"

Theslightlytroubledairoftryingtounderstand，——notunlikethevaguewondermentofchildhood，——withwhichMissMullinshadreceivedthebeginningofthisexordium，changedtoarelievedsmileofcomprehensionasshesaidquickly，"Ohyes，nearlyawholeyear。”

"And，"saidtheJudge，smiling，"hasheavocation——isheinbusiness？"

"Ohyes，"shereturned；"he\'sacollector。”

"Acollector？"

"Yes；hecollectsbills，youknow，——money，"shewenton，withchildisheagerness，"notforhimself，——HEneverhasanymoney，poorCharley，——butforhisfirm。It\'sdreadfulhardwork，too；keepshimoutfordaysandnights，overbadroadsandbaddestweather。

Sometimes，whenhe\'sstoleovertotheranchjusttoseeme，he\'sbeensobadhecouldscarcelykeephisseatinthesaddle，muchlessstand。Andhe\'sgottotakemightybigrisks，too。Timesthefolksarecrosswithhimandwon\'tpay；oncetheyshothiminthearm，andhecametome，andIhelpeddoitupforhim。Buthedon\'tmind。He\'srealbrave，——jestasbraveashe\'sgood。”Therewassuchawholesomeringoftruthinthisprettypraisethatweweretouchedinsympathywiththespeaker。

"Whatfirmdoeshecollectfor？"askedtheJudgegently。

"Idon\'tknowexactly——hewon\'ttellme；butIthinkit\'saSpanishfirm。Yousee"——shetookusallintoherconfidencewithasweepingsmileofinnocentyethalf-mischievousartfulness——"IonlyknowbecauseIpeepedoveraletterheoncegotfromhisfirm，tellinghimhemusthustleupandbereadyfortheroadthenextday；butIthinkthenamewasMartinez——yes，RamonMartinez。”

Inthedeadsilencethatensued——asilencesoprofoundthatwecouldhearthehorsesinthedistantstable-yardrattlingtheirharness——oneoftheyounger"Excelsior"boysburstintoahystericlaugh，butthefierceeyeofYubaBillwasdownuponhim，andseemedtoinstantlystiffenhimintoasilent，grinningmask。Theyounggirl，however，tooknonoteofit。Followingout，withlover-likediffusiveness，thereminiscencesthusawakened，shewenton:——

"Yes，it\'smightyhardwork，buthesaysit\'sallforme，andassoonaswe\'remarriedhe\'llquitit。Hemighthavequititbefore，buthewon\'ttakenomoneyofme，norwhatItoldhimIcouldgetoutofdad!Thatain\'thisstyle。He\'smightyproud——ifheispoor——isCharley。Whythar\'sallma\'smoneywhichsheleftmeintheSavin\'sBankthatIwantedtodrawout——forIhadtheright——

andgiveittohim，buthewouldn\'thearofit!Why，hewouldn\'ttakeoneofthethingsI\'vegotwithme，ifheknewit。Andsohegoesonridin\'andridin\'，hereandthereandeverywhere，andgettin\'moreandmoreplayedoutandsad，andthinandpaleasaspirit，andalwayssouneasyabouthisbusiness，andstartin\'upattimeswhenwe\'remeetin\'outintheSouthWoodsorinthefarclearin\'，andsayin\':\'Imustbegoin\'now，Polly，\'andyetalwaystryin\'tobechiffleandchipperaforeme。WhyhemusthaveridmilesandmilestohavewatchedformetharinthebrushatthefootofGalloper\'sto-night，jesttoseeifallwassafe；andLordy!I\'dhavegivenhimthesignalandshowedalightifI\'ddiedforitthenextminit。There!That\'swhatIknowofCharley——

that\'swhatI\'mrunningawayfromhomefor——that\'swhatI\'mrunningtohimfor，andIdon\'tcarewhoknowsit!AndIonlywishI\'ddoneitafore——andIwould——if——if——if——he\'donlyASKEDME!Therenow!"Shestopped，panted，andchoked。Thenoneofthesuddentransitionsofyouthfulemotionovertooktheeager，laughingface；

itcloudedupwiththeswiftchangeofchildhood，alightningquiverofexpressionbrokeoverit，and——thencametherain!

Ithinkthissimpleactcompletedourutterdemoralization!Wesmiledfeeblyateachotherwiththatassumptionofmasculinesuperioritywhichismiserablyconsciousofitsownhelplessnessatsuchmoments。Welookedoutofthewindow，blewournoses，said:

"Eh——what？"and"Isay，"vaguelytoeachother，andweregreatlyrelieved，andyetapparentlyastonished，whenYubaBill，whohadturnedhisbackuponthefairspeaker，andwaskickingthelogsinthefireplace，suddenlysweptdownuponusandbundledusallintotheroad，leavingMissMullinsalone。ThenhewalkedasidewithJudgeThompsonforafewmoments；returnedtous，autocraticallydemandedofthepartyacompletereticencetowardsMissMullinsonthesubject-matterunderdiscussion，re-enteredthestation，reappearedwiththeyounglady，suppressedafaintidioticcheerwhichbrokefromusatthespectacleofherinnocentfaceoncemoreclearedandrosy，climbedthebox，andinanothermomentwewereunderway。

"Thenshedon\'tknowwhatherloverisyet？"askedtheExpressmaneagerly。

"No。”

"AreYOUcertainit\'soneofthegang？"

"Can\'tsayFORSURE。ItmoutbeayoungchapfromYolowhobuckedaginthetiger*atSacramento，gotregularlycleanedoutandbusted，andjoinedthegangforaflier。TheysaytharwasanewhandinthatjoboveratKeeley\'s，——andamightygameone，too；andeztherewassomebuckshotonloadedthattrip，hemighthevgothisshare，andthatwouldtallywithwhatthegirlsaidabouthisarm。

See!Efthat\'stheman，I\'veheeredhewasthesonofsomebigpreacherintheStates，andacollegesharptoboot，whoranwildin\'Frisco，andplayedhimselfforallhewasworth。They\'rethewustkindtokickwhentheyoncegetafootoverthetraces。Forstiddy，comf\'blekempany，"addedBillreflectively，"giveMEthesonofamanthatwasHANGED!"

*Gambledatfaro。

"Butwhatareyougoingtodoaboutthis？"

"Thatdependsuponthefellerwhocomestomeether。”

"Butyouain\'tgoingtotrytotakehim？Thatwouldbeplayingitprettylowdownonthemboth。”

"Keepyourhairon，Jimmy!TheJudgeandmeareonlygoingtorastlewiththesperritofthatgayyounggaloot，whenhedropsdownforhisgirl——andexhorthimpow\'ful!Efheallowshe\'sconvictedofsinandwillfindtheLord，we\'llmarryhimandthegaloffhandatthenextstation，andtheJudgewillofficiatehimselffornothin\'。We\'regoin\'tohavethisyerelopementdoneonthesquare——andourwaybillclean——youbet!"

"Butyoudon\'tsupposehe\'lltrusthimselfinyourhands？"

"Pollywillsignaltohimthatit\'sallsquare。”

"Ah!"saidtheExpressman。Neverthelessinthosefewmomentsthemenseemedtohaveexchangeddispositions。TheExpressmanlookeddoubtfully，critically，andevencynicallybeforehim。Bill\'sfacehadrelaxed，andsomethinglikeablandsmilebeamedacrossit，ashedroveconfidentlyandunhesitatinglyforward。

Day，meantime，althoughfullblownandradiantonthemountainsummitsaroundus，wasyetnebulousanduncertaininthevalleysintowhichwewereplunging。Lightsstillglimmeredinthecabinsandfewranchbuildingswhichbegantoindicatethethickersettlements。Andtheshadowswereheaviestinalittlecopse，whereanotefromJudgeThompsoninthecoachwashandeduptoYubaBill，whoatonceslowlybegantodrawuphishorses。Thecoachstoppedfinallynearthejunctionofasmallcrossroad。AtthesamemomentMissMullinsslippeddownfromthevehicle，and，withapartingwaveofherhandtotheJudge，whohadassistedherfromthesteps，trippeddownthecrossroad，anddisappearedinitssemi-

obscurity。Tooursurprisethestagewaited，Billholdingthereinslistlesslyinhishands。Fiveminutespassed——aneternityofexpectation，and，astherewasthatinYubaBill\'sfacewhichforbadeidlequestioning，anachingvoidofsilencealso!Thiswasatlastbrokenbyastrangevoicefromtheroad:——

"Goonwe\'llfollow。”

Thecoachstartedforward。Presentlyweheardthesoundofotherwheelsbehindus。Weallcranedournecksbackwardtogetaviewoftheunknown，butbythegrowinglightwecouldonlyseethatwewerefollowedatadistancebyabuggywithtwofiguresinit。

EvidentlyPollyMullinsandherlover!Wehopedthattheywouldpassus。Butthevehicle，althoughdrawnbyafasthorse，preserveditsdistancealways，anditwasplainthatitsdriverhadnodesiretosatisfyourcuriosity。TheExpressmanhadrecoursetoBill。

"Isitthemanyouthoughtof？"heaskedeagerly。

"Ireckon，"saidBillbriefly。

"But，"continuedtheExpressman，returningtohisformerskepticism，"what\'stokeepthembothfromlevantingtogethernow？"

Billjerkedhishandtowardsthebootwithagrimsmile。

"Theirbaggage。”

"Oh!"saidtheExpressman。

"Yes，"continuedBill。"We\'llhangontothatgal\'slittlefrillsandfixin\'suntilthisyerjob\'ssettled，andtheceremony\'sover，jestasefwewazherownfather。And，what\'smore，youngman，"headded，suddenlyturningtotheExpressman，"YOU\'LLexpressthemtrunksofhersTHROUGHTOSACRAMENTOwithyourkempany\'slabels，andhandherthereceiptsandchecksforthem，sosheCANGET\'EM

THERE。That\'llkeepHIMoutertemptationandthereacho\'thegang，untiltheygetawayamongwhitemenandcivilizationagain。

Whenyourhoary-headedolegrandfather，or，tospeakplainer，thatpartikleroldwhiskey-soakerknownasYubaBill，wotsitsonthisbox，"hecontinued，withadiabolicalwinkattheExpressman，"waltzesintopervideforayoungcouplejeststartin\'inlife，thar\'snothin\'meanabouthisstyle，youbet。Hefillsthebilleverytime!SpeshulProvidencestakeabackseatwhenhe\'saround。”

WhenthestationhotelandstragglingsettlementofSugarPine，nowdistinctandclearinthegrowinglight，atlastrosewithinrifleshotontheplateau，thebuggysuddenlydartedswiftlybyus，soswiftlythatthefacesofthetwooccupantswerebarelydistinguishableastheypassed，andkeepingtheleadbyadozenlengths，reachedthedoorofthehotel。Theyounggirlandhercompanionleapeddownandvanishedwithinaswedrewup。Theyhadevidentlydeterminedtoeludeourcuriosity，andweresuccessful。

Butthematerialappetitesofthepassengers，sharpenedbythekeenmountainair，weremorepotentthantheircuriosity，and，asthebreakfast-bellrangoutatthemomentthestagestopped，amajorityofthemrushedintothedining-roomandscrambledforplaceswithoutgivingmuchheedtothevanishedcoupleortotheJudgeandYubaBill，whohaddisappearedalso。ThethroughcoachtoMarysvilleandSacramentowaslikewisewaiting，forSugarPinewasthelimitofBill\'sministration，andthecoachwhichwehadjustleftwentnofarther。Inthecourseoftwentyminutes，however，therewasaslightandsomewhatceremoniousbustlinginthehallandontheveranda，andYubaBillandtheJudgereappeared。

Thelatterwasleading，withsomeelaborationofmanneranddetail，theshapelyfigureofMissMullins，andYubaBillwasaccompanyinghercompaniontothebuggy。Weallrushedtothewindowstogetagoodviewofthemysteriousstrangerandprobableex-brigandwhoselifewasnowlinkedwithourfairfellow-passenger。Iamafraid，however，thatweallparticipatedinacertainimpressionofdisappointmentanddoubt。Handsomeandevencultivated-looking，heassuredlywas——youngandvigorousinappearance。Buttherewasacertainhalf-shamed，half-defiantsuggestioninhisexpression，yetcoupledwithawatchfullurkinguneasinesswhichwasnotpleasantandhardlybecominginabridegroom——andthepossessorofsuchabride。Butthefrank，joyous，innocentfaceofPollyMullins，resplendentwithasimple，happyconfidence，meltedourheartsagain，andcondonedthefellow\'sshortcomings。Wewavedourhands；

IthinkwewouldhavegiventhreerousingcheersastheydroveawayiftheomnipotenteyeofYubaBillhadnotbeenuponus。Itwaswell，forthenextmomentweweresummonedtothepresenceofthatsoft-heartedautocrat。

WefoundhimalonewiththeJudgeinaprivatesitting-room，standingbeforeatableonwhichtherewasadecanterandglasses。

Aswefiledexpectantlyintotheroomandthedoorclosedbehindus，hecastaglanceofhesitatingtoleranceoverthegroup。

"Gentlemen，"hesaidslowly，"youwasallpresentatthebeginnin\'

ofalittlegamethismornin\'，andtheJudgetharthinksthatyououghterbeletinatthefinish。Idon\'tseethatit\'sanyofYOUR

d——dbusiness——sotospeak；buteztheJudgehereallowsyou\'reallinthesecret，I\'vecalledyouintotakeapartin\'drinktothehealthofMr。andMrs。CharleyByng——ezisnowcomf\'ablyoffontheirbridaltower。WhatYOUknoworwhatYOUsuspectsoftheyounggalootthat\'smarriedthegalain\'tworthshuckstoanybody，andIwouldn\'tgiveittoayallerpuptoplaywith，buttheJudgethinksyououghtalltopromiserightherethatyou\'llkeepitdark。That\'shisopinion。Ezfarasmyopiniongoes，gen\'l\'men，"

continuedBill，withgreaterblandnessandapparentcordiality，"I

wantersimplyremark，inakeerless，offhandgin\'ralway，thatefI

ketchanyGod-forsaken，lop-eared，chuckle-headedblatherin\'idjetairin\'HISopinion"——

"Onemoment，Bill，"interposedJudgeThompsonwithagravesmile；

"letmeexplain。Youunderstand，gentlemen，"hesaid，turningtous，"thesingular，andImaysayaffecting，situationwhichourgood-heartedfriendherehasdonesomuchtobringtowhatwehopewillbeahappytermination。Iwanttogivehere，asmyprofessionalopinion，thatthereisnothinginhisrequestwhich，inyourcapacityasgoodcitizensandlaw-abidingmen，youmaynotgrant。Iwanttotellyou，also，thatyouarecondoningnooffenseagainstthestatutes；thatthereisnotaparticleoflegalevidencebeforeusofthecriminalantecedentsofMr。CharlesByng，exceptthatwhichhasbeentoldyoubytheinnocentlipsofhisbetrothed，whichthelawofthelandhasnowsealedforeverinthemouthofhiswife，andthatourownactualexperienceofhisactshavebeeninthemainexculpatoryofanypreviousirregularity——ifnotincompatiblewithit。Briefly，nojudgewouldcharge，nojuryconvict，onsuchevidence。WhenIaddthattheyounggirlisoflegalage，thatthereisnoevidenceofanypreviousundueinfluence，butratherofthereverse，onthepartofthebridegroom，andthatIwascontent，asamagistrate，toperformtheceremony，Ithinkyouwillbesatisfiedtogiveyourpromise，forthesakeofthebride，anddrinkahappylifetothemboth。”

Ineednotsaythatwedidthischeerfully，andevenextortedfromBillagruntofsatisfaction。Themajorityofthecompany，however，whoweregoingwiththethroughcoachtoSacramento，thentooktheirleave，and，asweaccompaniedthemtotheveranda，wecouldseethatMissPollyMullins\'strunkswerealreadytransferredtotheothervehicleundertheprotectingsealsandlabelsoftheall-potentExpressCompany。Thenthewhipcracked，thecoachrolledaway，andthelasttracesoftheadventurousyoungcoupledisappearedinthehangingreddustofitswheels。

ButYubaBill\'sgrimsatisfactionatthehappyissueoftheepisodeseemedtosuffernoabatement。Heevenexceededhisusualdeliberatelyregulatedpotations，and，standingcomfortablywithhisbacktothecentreofthenowdesertedbarroom，wasmorethanusuallyloquaciouswiththeExpressman。"Yousee，"hesaid，inblandreminiscence，"whenyouroldUncleBilltakesholdofajoblikethis，heputsitstraightthroughwithoutchangin\'hosses。

Yettharwasamoment，youngfeller，whenIthoughtIwasstompt!

Itwaswhenwe\'dmadeupourmindtomakethatchaptellthegalfustallwhathewas!Efshe\'draredorkickedinthetraces，orhungbackonlyezmuchezthat，we\'dhevgivenhimjestfiveminits\'lawtogetupandgetandleaveher，andwe\'dhevtotedthatgalandherfixin\'sbacktoherdadagain!Butshejestgavealittlescreamandstart，andthenwentoffinterhysterics，rightonhisbuzzum，laughingandcryin\'andsayin\'thatnothin\'shouldpart\'em。Gosh!ifIdidn\'tthinkHEwozmorecutupthansheaboutit；aminititlookedasefHEdidn\'tallowtomarryherarterall，butthatpassed，andtheywasmarriedhardandfast——youbet!Ireckonhe\'shadenoughofstayin\'outo\'nightstolasthim，andefthevalleysettlementshevn\'tgotholdofaveryshiningmember，atleastthefoothillshevgotshutofonemoreoftheRamonMartinezgang。”

"What\'sthatabouttheRamonMartinezgang？"saidaquietpotentialvoice。

Billturnedquickly。ItwasthevoiceoftheDivisionalSuperintendentoftheExpressCompany，——amanofeccentricdeterminationofcharacter，andoneofthefewwhomtheautocraticBillrecognizedasanequal，——whohadjustenteredthebarroom。

Hisdustypongeecloakandsofthatindicatedthathehadthatmorningarrivedonaroundofinspection。

"Don\'tcareifIdo，Bill，"hecontinued，inresponsetoBill\'sinvitatorygesture，walkingtothebar。"It\'salittlerawoutontheroad。Well，whatwereyousayingaboutRamonMartinezgang？

Youhaven\'tcomeacrossoneof\'em，haveyou？"

"No，"saidBill，withaslightblinkingofhiseye，asheostentatiouslyliftedhisglasstothelight。

"AndyouWON\'T，"addedtheSuperintendent，leisurelysippinghisliquor。"Forthefactis，thegangisaboutplayedout。Notfromwantofajobnowandthen，butfromthedifficultyofdisposingoftheresultsoftheirwork。Sincethenewinstructionstotheagentstoidentifyandtracealldustandbullionofferedtothemwentintoforce，yousee，theycan\'tgetridoftheirswag。Allthegangarespottedattheoffices，anditcoststoomuchforthemtopayafenceoramiddlemanofanystanding。Why，allthatflakyrivergoldtheytookfromtheExcelsiorCompanycanbeidentifiedaseasyasifitwasstampedwiththecompany\'smark。Theycan\'tmeltitdownthemselves；theycan\'tgetotherstodoitforthem；

theycan\'tshipittotheMintorAssayOfficesinMarysvilleand\'Frisco，fortheywon\'ttakeitwithoutourcertificateandseals；

andWEdon\'ttakeanyundeclaredfreightWITHINthelinesthatwe\'vedrawnaroundtheirbeat，exceptfrompeopleandagentsknown。

Why，YOUknowthatwellenough，Jim，"hesaid，suddenlyappealingtotheExpressman，"don\'tyou？"

PossiblythesuddennessoftheappealcausedtheExpressmantoswallowhisliquorthewrongway，forhewasovertakenwithafitofcoughing，andstammeredhastilyashelaiddownhisglass，"Yes——ofcourse——certainly。”

"No，sir，"resumedtheSuperintendentcheerfully，"they\'reprettywellplayedout。Andthebestproofofitisthatthey\'velatelybeenrobbingordinarypassengers\'trunks。Therewasafreightwagon\'heldup\'nearDow\'sFlattheotherday，andalotofbaggagegonethrough。Ihadtogodowntheretolookintoit。Darnediftheyhadn\'tliftedaloto\'woman\'sweddingthingsfromthatrichcouplewhogotmarriedtheotherdayoutatMarysville。Looksasiftheywereplayingitratherlowdown，don\'tit？Comingdowntohardpanandthebedrock——eh？"

TheExpressman\'sfacewasturnedanxiouslytowardsBill，who，afterahurriedgulpofhisremainingliquor，stillstoodstaringatthewindow。Thenheslowlydrewononeofhislargegloves。"Yedidn\'t，"hesaid，withaslow，drawling，butperfectlydistinct，articulation，"happentoknowold\'Skinner\'Hemmingswhenyouwereoverthere？"

"Yes。”

"Andhisdaughter？"

"Hehasn\'tgotany。”

"Asorto\'mild，innocent，guilelesschildofnature？"persistedBill，withayellowface，adeadlycalmandSatanicdeliberation。

"No。ItellyouheHASN\'Tanydaughter。OldmanHemmingsisaconfirmedoldbachelor。He\'stoomeantosupportmorethanone。”

"Andyoudidn\'thappentoknowanyo\'thatgang，didye？"continuedBill，withinfiniteprotraction。

"Yes。Knew\'emall。TherewasFrenchPete，CherokeeBob，KanakaJoe，One-eyedStillson，SoftyBrown，SpanishJack，andtwoorthreeGreasers。”

"Andyedidn\'tknowamanbythenameofCharleyByng？"

"No，"returnedtheSuperintendent，withaslightsuggestionofwearinessandadistraughtglancetowardsthedoor。

"Adark，stylishchap，withshiftyblackeyesandacurled-upmerstache？"continuedBill，withdry，colorlesspersistence。

"No。Lookhere，Bill，I\'minalittlebitofahurry——butI

supposeyoumusthaveyourlittlejokebeforewepart。Now，whatisyourlittlegame？"

"Wotyoumean？"demandedBill，withsuddenbrusqueness。

"Mean？Well，oldman，youknowaswellasIdo。You\'regivingmetheverydescriptionofRamonMartinezhimself，ha!ha!No——Bill!

youdidn\'tplaymethistime。You\'remightyspryandclever，butyoudidn\'tcatchonjustthen。”

Henoddedandmovedawaywithalightlaugh。BillturnedastonyfacetotheExpressman。Suddenlyagleamofmirthcameintohisgloomyeyes。Hebentovertheyoungman，andsaidinahoarse，chucklingwhisper:——

"ButIgotevenafterall!"

"How？"

"He\'stieduptothatlyinglittleshe-devil，hardandfast!"

THEREFORMATIONOFJAMESREDDY。

I。

Itwasafreshlyfurrowedfield，solargethattheeyeatfirstscarcelytookinitsmagnitude。Theirregularsurfaceofupturned，oily，wave-shapedclodstooktheappearanceofavast，black，choppingsea，thatreachedfromtheactualshoreofSanFranciscoBaytothelowhillsoftheCoastRange。Thesea-breezethatblewchillyoverthisbleakexpanseaddedtothatfancy，andthelineofstragglingwhitewashedfarmbuildings，thathalfwayacrossliftedthemselvesaboveit，seemedtobeplacedonanislandinitsmidst。

Eventheoneortwohuge，misshapenagriculturalmachines，abandonedinthefurrows，boreanoddresemblancetohulksorbargesadriftuponitswaste。

Thismarinesuggestionwasequallynoticeablefromthedoorofoneofthefarmbuildings——along，detachedwoodenshed——intowhichanumberoffarmlaborerswereslowlyfiling，althoughonemanwasapparentlyenoughimpressedbyittolingerandgazeoverthatrigidsea。Exceptintheirroughdressandthelabor-stainsofsoilontheirhandsandfaces，theyrepresentednoparticulartypeorclass。Theywereyoungandold，robustanddelicate，dullandintelligent；kepttogetheronlybysomephilosophical，careless，orhumorousacceptanceofequallyenforcedcircumstanceintheirlabors，asconvictsmighthavebeen。FortheyhadbeenpickeduponthestreetsandwharvesofSanFrancisco，——dischargedsailors，broken-downminers，helplessnewcomers，unemployedprofessionalmen，andruinedtraders，——toassistinploughingandplantingcertainbroadleaguesofrichalluvialsoilforaspeculativeJointStockCompany，ataweeklywagethatwouldhavemadeanEuropeanpeasantindependentforhalfayear。Yettherewasnoenthusiasmintheirlabor，althoughitwasseldommarkedbyabsolutelazinessorevasion，andwasmoreoftenhinderedbyill-regulated"spurts"

andexcessiveeffort，asifthelaborerwasanxioustogetthroughwithit；forinthefewconfidencestheyexchangedtherewaslittleallusiontothepresent，andtheytalkedchieflyofwhattheyweregoingtodowhentheirworkwasover。Theyweregregariousonlyattheirmealsinoneofthesheds，orwhenatnighttheysoughttheir"bunks"orberthstogetherinthelargerbuilding。

Themanwhohadlingeredtolookatthedrearyprospecthadasomewhatgloomy，discontentedface，whosesensitivelinesindicatedacertainsusceptibilitytosuchimpressions。Hewasfurtherdistinguishedbyhavingalsolingeredlongerwiththewashingofhishandsandfaceinthebatteredtinbasinonastoolbesidethedoor，andbythecircumstancethattheoperationrevealedthefactthattheywerewhiterthanthoseofhiscompanions。Dryinghisfingersslowlyonthelongroller-towel，hestoodgazingwithakindofhardabstractionacrossthedarkeningfield，thestripoffadedcolorlessshore，andthechillgraysea，tothedividingpointoflandontheoppositecoast，whichinthedyingdaylightwassilhouettedagainstthecoldhorizon。

Heknewthataroundthatpointandbehinditlaythefierce，half-

grown，half-tamedcityofyesterdaythathadworkedhisruin。

Itwasscarcelyayearagothathehadplungedintoitswildestexcesses，——arecklessgambleramongspeculators，ahopelessspeculatoramonggamblers，untilthelittlefortunehehadbroughtthitherhadbeensweptaway。

Fromtimetotimehehadkeptuphisfailingspiritwiththefeverishexaltationofdissipation，until，awakeningfromadrunkard\'sdreamonemorning，hehadfoundhimselfonboardasteamboatcrossingthebay，incompanywithagangoffarmlaborerswithwhomhewashired。Abittersmilecrossedhislipsashiseyeshoveredoverthecold，ruggedfieldsbeforehim。Yetheknewthattheyhadsavedhim。Theunaccustomedmanuallaborintheopenair，theregularhours，thesilent，heavy，passionlessnights，theplainbutwholesomefood，wereallslowlyrestoringhisyouthandstrengthagain。Temptationandpassionhadalikefledtheseunlovelyfieldsandgrimemployment。Yethewasnotgrateful。Henursedhisdrearyconvalescenceashehadhispreviousdissipation，aspartofawrongdonehimbyoneforwhosesake，hewaswonttobelieve，hehadsacrificedhimself。Thatpersonwasawoman。

Turningatlastfromtheprospectandhisbittermemoriestojoinhiscompanions，hefoundthattheyhadallpassedin。Thebenchesbeforethelongtableonwhichsupperwasspreadwerealreadyfilled，andhestoodinhesitation，lookingdownthelineofsilentandhungrilypreoccupiedmenoneitherside。Ayounggirl，whowasstandingnearasmallerserving-table，apparentlyassistinganolderwomanindirectingtheoperationofhalfadozenChinesewaiters，movedforwardandclearedaplaceforhimataside-table，pushingbeforeittheonlychairintheroom，——theoneshehadlatelyvacated。Assheplacedsomeofthedishesbeforehimwithatimidostentation，andherlargebutwell-shapedhandscamesuddenlyincontactwith，andindirestcontrasttohisownwhiterandmoredelicateones，sheblushedfaintly。Heliftedhiseyestohers。

Hehadseenherhalfadozentimesbefore，forshewasthedaughteroftheranchsuperintendent，andoccasionallyassistedhermotherinthisculinarysupervision——whichdidnot，however，bringherintoanyfamiliarassociationwiththemen。Eventheyoungerones，perhapsfromover-consciousnessoftheirinferiorpositionorthepreoccupationoftheirlabor，neverindulgedinanygallantrytowardher，andhehimself，inhisrevulsionoffeelingagainstthewholesex，hadscarcelynoticedthatshewasgood-looking。Butthisnaiveexhibitionofpreferencecouldnotbeoverlooked，eitherbyhiscompanions，whosmiledcynicallyacrossthetable，orbyhimself，fromwhosemorbidfancyitstruckanignoblesuggestion。

Ah，well!thegirlwaspretty——thedaughterofhisemployer，whorumorsaidownedacontrollingshareinthecompany；whyshouldhenotmakethischancepreferenceleadtosomething，ifonlytoameliorate，inwayslikethis，hisdespicablepositionhere。Heknewthevalueofhisowngoodlooks，hissuperioreducation，andacertainrecklessnesswhichwomenliked；whyshouldhenotprofitbythemaswellastheonewomanwhohadbroughthimtothis？Heowedhersexnothing；ifthoseamongthemwhowerenotbadwereonlyfools，therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnotdeceivethemastheyhadhim。Therewasallthissmallaudacityandcynicalpurposeinhisbrowneyesashedeliberatelyfixedthemonhers。AndIgrievetosaythattheseabominablesentimentsseemedonlytoimparttothemacertainattractivebrilliancy，andadeterminationwhichtheundeterminingsexisapttoadmire。

Sheblushedagain，droppedhereyes，repliedtohissignificantthankswithafewindistinctwords，anddrewawayfromthetablewithasuddentimiditythatwashalfconfession。

Shedidnotapproachhimagainduringthemeal，butseemedtohavetakenasuddeninterestintheefficiencyofthewaiters，generally，whichshehadnotshownbefore。Idonotknowwhetherthiswasmerelyaneffortatconcealment，oranawakenedrecognitionofherduty；but，afterthefashionofhersex，——andperhapsincontrasttohis，——shewaskinderthateveningtotheaveragemanonaccountofHIM。Hedidnot，however，noticeit；nordidherabsenceinterferewithhisnowhealthyappetite；hefinishedhismeal，andonlywhenherosetotakehishatfromthepegabovehimdidheglancearoundtheroom。Theireyesmetagain。Ashepassedout，althoughitwasdark，heputonhishatalittlemoresmartly。

Theairwasclearandcold，buttheoutlinesofthelandscapehadvanished。Hiscompanions，withtheinstinctoftiredanimals，werealreadymakingtheirwayinknotsoftwoorthree，orinsilentfile，acrosstheinterveningspacebetweenthebuildingandtheirdormitory。Afewhadalreadylittheirpipesandwerewalkingleisurely，butthemajoritywerehurryingfromthechillsea-breezetothewarmthandcomfortofthelong，well-litroom，linedwithblanketedberths，andsetwithplainwoodenchairsandtables。Theyoungmanlingeredforamomentonthewoodenplatformoutsidethedining-shed，——partlytoevadethisonlysocialgatheringofhisfellowsastheyretiredforthenight，andpartlyattractedbyastrangefascinationtothefaintdistantglow，beyondthepointofland，whichindicatedthelightsofSanFrancisco。

Therewasaslightrustlebehindhim!Itwastheyounggirlwho，withawhitewoolenscarfthrownoverherheadandshoulders，hadjustlefttheroom。Shestartedwhenshesawhim，andforaninstanthesitated。

"Youaregoinghome，MissWoodridge？"hesaidpleasantly。

"Yes，"shereturned，inafaint，embarrassedvoice。"IthoughtI\'drunonaheadofma!"

"Willyouallowmetoaccompanyyou？"

"It\'sonlyastep，"sheprotested，indicatingthelightinthewindowofthesuperintendent\'shouse，themostremoteofthegroupofbuildings，yetscarcelyaquarterofamiledistant。

"Butit\'squitedark，"hepersistedsmilingly。

Shesteppedfromtheplatformtotheground；heinstantlyfollowedandrangedhimselfatalittledistancefromherside。Sheprotestedstillfeeblyagainsthis"troublinghimself，"butinanothermomenttheywerewalkingonquietlytogether。

Nevertheless，afewpacesfromtheplatformtheycameupontheupheavedclodsofthefreshfurrows，andtheirprogressoverthemwasslowanddifficult。

"ShallIhelpyou？Willyoutakemyarm？"hesaidpolitely。

"No，thankyou，Mr。Reddy。”

So!sheknewhisname!Hetriedtolookintohereyes，butthewoolenscarfhidherhead。Afterall，therewasnothingstrangeinherknowinghim；sheprobablyhadthenamesofthemenbeforeherinthedining-room，oronthebooks。Afterapausehesaid:——

"Youquitestartledme。Onebecomessuchamereworkingmachineherethatonequiteforgetsone\'sownname，——especiallywiththeprefixof\'Mr。\'"

"Andifitdon\'thappentobeone\'srealnameeither，"saidthegirl，withanodd，timidaudacity。

Helookedupquickly——moreattractedbyhermannerthanherwords；

moreamusedthanangry。

"ButReddyhappenstobemyrealname。”

"Oh!"

"Whatmadeyouthinkitwasnot？"

TheclodsoverwhichtheywereclamberingweresouneventhatsometimestheyounggirlwasmountingoneatthesamemomentthatReddywasdescendingfromanother。Herreply，halfmuffledinhershawl，wasdeliveredoverhishead。"Oh，becausepasaysmostofthemenheredon\'tgivetheirrealnames——theydon\'tcaretobeknownafterward。Ashamedoftheirwork，Ireckon。”

Hisfaceflushedamoment，eveninthedarkness。HeWASashamedofhiswork，andperhapsalittleofthepitifulsporthewasbeginning。Butoddlyenough，theaggressivecriticismonlywhettedhispurpose。Thegirlwasevidentlyquiteabletotakecareofherself；whyshouldhebeover-chivalrous？

"Itisn\'tverypleasanttobedoingtheworkofahorse，anox，oramachine，ifyoucandootherthings，"hesaidhalfseriously。

"Butyouneverusedtodoanythingatall，didyou？"sheasked。

Hehesitated。Herewasachancetogiveheranaffectinghistoryofhisformerexaltedfortuneandposition，andperhapseventostirherevidentlyromanticnaturewithsomesuggestionofhissacrificestooneofherownsex。Womenlikedthatsortofthing。

Itarousedatoncetheiremulationandtheircondemnationofeachother。Heseizedtheopportunity，but——forsomereason，heknewnotwhy——awkwardlyandclumsily，withasimulatedpathosthatwaslachrymose，aself-assertionthatwasboastful，andadramaticmannerthatwasunreal。Suddenlythegirlstoppedhim。

"Yes，IknowallTHAT；patoldme。Toldmeyou\'dbeengivenawaybysomewoman。”

Hisfaceagainflushed——thistimewithanger。Theutterfailureofhisstorytoexciteherinterest，andherperfectpossessionofherselfandthesituation，——sounlikeherconductafewmomentsbefore，——madehimsavagelysilent，andheclamberedonsullenlyatherside。Presentlyshestopped，balancingherselfwithadexterityhecouldnotimitateononeofthelargerupheavedclods，andsaid: