第4章

Intwohoursmoretheyhadovertakenthetrain，alreadyonthemarch，andwereinthemidstofthegroupofoutriders。JudgePeyton\'sface，albeitatrifleperplexed，turnedtowardsClarencewithakindly，half-tolerantlookofwelcome。Theboy\'sheartinstantlymeltedwithforgiveness。

"Well，myboy，let\'shearYOURstory。Whathappened?"

Clarencecastahurriedglancearound，andsawJim，withfaceaverted，ridinggloomilybehind。Thennervouslyandhurriedlyhetoldhowhehadbeenthrownintothegullyonthebackofthewoundedbuffalo，andthemannerofhisescape。Anaudibletitterranthroughthecavalcade。Mr。Peytonregardedhimgravely。"Buthowdidthebuffalogetsoconvenientlyintothegully?"heasked。

"JimHookerlamedhimwithashotgun，andhefellover，"saidClarencetimidly。

AroarofHomericlaughterwentupfromtheparty。Clarencelookedup，stungandstartled，butcaughtasingleglimpseofJimHooker\'sfacethatmadehimforgethisownmortification。Initshopeless，heart-sick，andutterlybeatendejection——thefirstandonlyrealexpressionhehadseenonit——hereadthedreadfultruth。Jim\'sREPUTATIONhadruinedhim!Theonegenuineandstrikingepisodeofhislife，theonetrustworthyaccounthehadgivenofit，hadbeenunanimouslyacceptedasthebiggestandmostconsummatelieofhisrecord!

CHAPTERVII

Withthisincidentofthehuntclosed，toClarence，thelastrememberedepisodeofhisjourney。Buthedidnotknowuntillongafterthatithadalsoclosedtohimwhatmighthavebeentheopeningofanewcareer。ForithadbeenJudgePeyton\'sintentioninadoptingSusytoincludeacertainguardianshipandprotectionoftheboy，providedhecouldgettheconsentofthatvaguerelationtowhomhewasconsigned。ButithadbeenpointedoutbyMrs。PeytonandherbrotherthatClarence\'sassociationwithJimHookerhadmadehimadoubtfulcompanionforSusy，andeventheJudgehimselfwasforcedtoadmitthattheboy\'sapparenttasteforevilcompanywasinconsistentwithhisallegedbirthandbreeding。

Unfortunately，Clarence，intheconvictionofbeinghopelesslymisunderstood，andthatdoggedacquiescencetofatewhichwasoneofhischaracteristics，wastooproudtocorrecttheimpressionbyanyofthehypocraciesofchildhood。HehadalsoacloudyinstinctofloyaltytoJiminhisdisgrace，without，however，experiencingeitherthesympathyofanequalorthezealofapartisan，butrather——ifitcouldbesaidofaboyofhisyears——withthepatronageandprotectionofasuperior。SoheacceptedwithoutdemurtheintimationthatwhenthetrainreachedCaliforniahewouldbeforwardedfromStocktonwithanoutfitandaletterofexplanationtoSacramento，itbeingunderstoodthatintheeventofnotfindinghisrelativehewouldreturntothePeytonsinoneofthesouthernvalleys，wheretheyelectedtopurchaseatractofland。

Withthisoutlook，andtheprospectofchange，independence，andalltherichpossibilitiesthattotheimaginationofyouthareincludedinthem，Clarencehadfoundthedaysdragging。ThehaltatSaltLake，thetransitofthedrearyAlkalidesert，eventhewildpassageoftheSierras，werebutablurredpictureinhismemory。Thesightofeternalsnowsandtherollingofendlessranksofpines，thefirstglimpseofahillsideofwildoats，thespectacleofarushingyellowriverthattohisfancyseemedtingedwithgold，weremomentaryexcitements，quicklyforgotten。Butwhen，onemorning，haltingattheoutskirtsofastrugglingsettlement，hefoundtheentirepartyeagerlygatheredaroundapassingstranger，whohadtakenfromhissaddle-bagsasmallbuckskinpouchtoshowthemadoublehandfulofshiningscalesofmetal，Clarencefeltthefirstfeverishandovermasteringthrillofthegold-seekers。Breathlesslyhefollowedthebreathlessquestionsandcarelessreplies。Thegoldhadbeendugoutofaplaceronlythirtymilesaway。Itmightbeworth，say，ahundredandfiftydollars；itwasonlyHISshareofaweek\'sworkwithtwopartners。Itwasnotmuch；"thecountrywasgettingplayedoutwithfresharrivalsandgreenhorns。"Allthisfallingcarelesslyfromtheunshavenlipsofadusty，roughlydressedman，withalong-handledshovelandpickaxestrappedonhisback，andafrying-

pandependingfromhissaddle。ButnopanopliedorarmedknighteverseemedsoheroicorindependentafiguretoClarence。Whatcouldbefinerthanthenoblescornconveyedinhiscriticalsurveyofthetrain，withitscomfortablecoveredwagonsandappliancesofcivilization?"Ye\'llhevtogetridofthemtherfixin\'sifyergoin\'inforplacerdiggin\'!"WhatacorroborationofClarence\'srealthoughts!Whatapictureofindependencewasthis!Thepicturesquescout，theall-powerfulJudgePeyton，thedaringyoungofficer，allcrumbledontheirclayeypedestalsbeforethisheroinaredflannelshirtandhigh-toppedboots。Tostrollaroundintheopenairallday，andpickupthoseshiningbitsofmetal，withoutstudy，withoutmethodorroutine——thiswasreallylife；tosomedaycomeuponthatlargenugget"youcouldn\'tlift，"thatwasworthasmuchasthetrainandhorses——suchaoneasthestrangersaidwasfoundtheotherdayatSawyer\'sBar——thiswasworthgivingupeverythingfor。Thatroughman，withhissmileofcarelesssuperiority，wasthelivinglinkbetweenClarenceandtheThousandandOneNights；inhimwereAladdinandSindbadincarnate。

TwodayslatertheyreachedStockton。HereClarence，whosesinglesuitofclotheshadbeenreinforcedbypatching，oddsandendsfromPeyton\'sstores，andanextraordinarycostumeofarmycloth，gotupbytheregimentaltailoratFortRidge，wastakentoberefittedatageneralfurnishing"emporium。"Butalas!intheselectionoftheclothingforthatadultlocalityscantprovisionseemedtohavebeenmadeforaboyofClarence\'syears，andhewaswithdifficultyfittedfromanoldcondemnedGovernmentstoreswith"aboy\'s"

seamansuitandabrass-buttonedpea-jacket。TothisoutfitMr。

Peytonaddedasmallsumofmoneyforhisexpenses，andaletterofexplanationtohiscousin。Thestage-coachwastostartatnoon。

ItonlyremainedforClarencetotakeleaveoftheparty。ThefinalpartingwithSusyhadbeendiscountedonthetwopreviousdayswithsometears，smallfrightsandclingings，andtheexpresseddeterminationonthechild\'spart"togowithhim；"butintheexcitementofthearrivalatStocktonitwasstillfurthermitigated，andundertheinfluenceofalittlepresentfromClarence——hisfirstdisbursementofhissmallcapital——hadatlasttakentheformandpromiseofmerelytemporaryseparation。

Nevertheless，whentheboy\'sscantypackwasdepositedunderthestage-coachseat，andhehadbeenleftalone，heranrapidlybacktothetrainforonemomentmorewithSusy。Pantingandalittlefrightened，hereachedMrs。Peyton\'scar。

"Goodness!You\'renotgoneyet，"saidMrs。Peytonsharply。"Doyouwanttolosethestage?"

Aninstantbefore，inhisloneliness，hemighthaveanswered，"Yes。"ButunderthecruelstingofMrs。Peyton\'sevidentannoyanceathisreappearancehefelthislegssuddenlytremble，andhisvoicelefthim。HedidnotdaretolookatSusy。Buthervoicerosecomfortablyfromthedepthsofthewagonwhereshewassitting。

"Thestagewillbegoneaway，Kla\'uns。"

Shetoo!Shameathisfoolishweaknesssenttheyearningbloodthathadsettledroundhisheartflyingbackintohisface。

"Iwaslookingfor——for——forJim，ma\'am，"hesaidatlast，boldly。

HesawalookofdisgustpassoverMrs。Peyton\'sface，andfeltamalicioussatisfactionasheturnedandranbacktothestage。Buthere，tohissurprise，heactuallyfoundJim，whomhereallyhadn\'tthoughtof，darklywatchingthelaststrappingofluggage。Withamannercalculatedtoconveytheimpressiontotheotherpassengersthathewaspartingfromabrothercriminal，probablyonhiswaytoastateprison，JimshookhandsgloomilywithClarence，andeyedtheotherpassengersfurtivelybetweenhismatedlocks。

"Efyehearo\'anythin\'happenin\'，ye\'llknowwhat\'sup，"hesaid，inalow，hoarse，butperfectlyaudiblewhisper。"Meandthem\'sboundtopartcompanyaforelong。TellthefellowsatDeadman\'sGulchtolookoutformeatanytime。"

AlthoughClarencewasnotgoingtoDeadman\'sGulch，knewnothingofit，andhadafaintsuspicionthatJimwasequallyignorant，yetasoneortwoofthepassengersglancedanxiouslyatthedemure，gray-

eyedboywhoseemedbookedforsuchabalefuldestination，hereallyfeltthehalf-delighted，half-frightenedconsciousnessthathewasstartinginlifeunderfascinatingimmoralpretenses。Buttheforwardspringofthefine-spiritedhorses，thequickenedmotion，theglitteringsunlight，andthethoughtthathereallywasleavingbehindhimalltheshacklesofdependenceandcustom，andplungingintoalifeoffreedom，droveallelsefromhismind。Heturnedatlastfromthishopeful，blissfulfuture，andbegantoexaminehisfellowpassengerswithboyishcuriosity。Wedgedinbetweentwosilentmenonthefrontseat，oneofwhomseemedafarmer，andtheother，byhisblackattire，aprofessionalman，Clarencewasfinallyattractedbyablack-mantled，dark-haired，bonnetlesswomanonthebackseat，whoseattentionseemedtobemonopolizedbythejoculargallantriesofhercompanionsandthetwomenbeforeherinthemiddleseat。Fromherpositionhecouldseelittlemorethanherdarkeyes，whichoccasionallyseemedtomeethisfrankcuriosityinanamusedsortofway，buthewaschieflystruckbytheprettyforeignsoundofhermusicalvoice，whichwasunlikeanythinghehadeverheardbefore，and——alasfortheinconstancyofyouth——muchfinerthanMrs。Peyton\'s。Presentlyhisfarmercompanion，castingapatronizingglanceonClarence\'spea-jacketandbrassbuttons，saidcheerily——

"Jestoffavoyage，sonny?"

"No，sir，"stammeredClarence；"Icameacrosstheplains。"

"ThenIreckonthat\'stherig-outforthecrewofaprairieschooner，eh?"TherewasalaughatthiswhichperplexedClarence。

Observingit，thehumoristkindlycondescendedtoexplainthat"prairieschooner"wasthecurrentslangforanemigrantwagon。

"Icouldn\'t，"explainedClarence，naivelylookingatthedarkeyesonthebackseat，"getanyclothesatStocktonbutthese；Isupposethefolksdidn\'tthinkthere\'deverbeboysinCalifornia。"

Thesimplicityofthisspeechevidentlyimpressedtheothers，forthetwomeninthemiddleseatsturnedatawhisperfromtheladyandregardedhimcuriously。Clarenceblushedslightlyandbecamesilent。Presentlythevehiclebegantoslackenitsspeed。Theywereascendingahill；oneitherbankgrewhugecottonwoods，fromwhichoccasionallydependedabeautifulscarletvine。

"Ah!eeteespretty，"saidthelady，noddingherblack-veiledheadtowardsit。"Eetisgoodinzehair。"

Oneofthemenmadeanawkwardattempttoclutchasprayfromthewindow。AbrilliantinspirationflasheduponClarence。Whenthestagebegantheascentofthenexthill，followingtheexampleofanoutsidepassenger，hejumpeddowntowalk。Atthetopofthehillherejoinedthestage，flushedandpanting，butcarryingasmallbranchofthevineinhisscratchedhands。Handingittothemanonthemiddleseat，hesaid，withgrave，boyishpoliteness——

"Please——forthelady。"

AslightsmilepassedoverthefaceofClarence\'sneighbors。Thebonnetlesswomannoddedapleasantacknowledgment，andcoquettishlywoundthevineinherglossyhair。Thedarkmanathisside，whohadn\'tspokenyet，turnedtoClarencedryly。

"Ifyou\'regoin\'tokeepupthisgait，sonny，Ireckonyewon\'tfindmuchtroublegettin\'aman\'ssuittofityoubythetimeyoureachSacramento。"

Clarencedidn\'tquiteunderstandhim，butnoticedthatasingulargravityseemedtoovertakethetwojocularmenonthemiddleseat，andtheladylookedoutofthewindow。Hecametotheconclusionthathehadmadeamistakeaboutalludingtohisclothesandhissize。Hemusttryandbehavemoremanly。Thatopportunityseemedtobeofferedtwohourslater，whenthestagestoppedatawaysidehotelorrestaurant。

Twoorthreepassengershadgotdowntorefreshthemselvesatthebar。Hisrightandlefthandneighborswere，however，engagedinadrawlingconversationonthecomparativemeritsofSanFranciscosandhillandwaterlots；thejocularoccupantsofthemiddleseatwerestillengrossedwiththelady。Clarenceslippedoutofthestageandenteredthebar-roomwithsomeostentation。Thecompleteignoringofhispersonbythebarkeeperandhiscustomers，however，somewhatdisconcertedhim。Hehesitatedamoment，andthenreturnedgravelytothestagedoorandopenedit。

"Wouldyoumindtakingadrinkwithme，sir?"saidClarencepolitely，addressingthefarmer-lookingpassengerwhohadbeenmostciviltohim。Adeadsilencefollowed。Thetwomenonthemiddleseatfacedentirelyaroundtogazeathim。

"TheCommodoreasksifyou\'lltakeadrinkwithhim，"explainedoneofthementoClarence\'sfriendwiththegreatestseriousness。

"Eh?Oh，yes，certainly，"returnedthatgentleman，changinghisastonishedexpressiontooneofthedeepestgravity，"seeingit\'stheCommodore。"

"Andperhapsyouandyourfriendwilljoin，too?"saidClarencetimidlytothepassengerwhohadexplained；"andyoutoo，sir?"headdedtothedarkman。

"Really，gentlemen，Idon\'tseehowwecanrefuse，"saidthelatter，withthegreatestformality，andappealingtotheothers。

"Acomplimentofthiskindfromourdistinguishedfriendisnottobetakenlightly。"

"Ihaveobserved，sir，thattheCommodore\'sheadislevel，"

returnedtheothermanwithequalgravity。

Clarencecouldhavewishedtheyhadnottreatedhisfirsthospitableeffortquitesoformally，butastheysteppedfromthecoachwithunbendingfacesheledthem，alittlefrightened，intothebar-room。Here，unfortunately，ashewasbarelyabletoreachoverthecounter，thebarkeeperwouldhaveagainoverlookedhimbutforaquickglancefromthedarkman，whichseemedtochangeeventhebarkeeper\'sperfunctorysmilingfaceintosupernaturalgravity。

"TheCommodoreisstandingtreat，"saidthedarkman，withunbrokenseriousness，indicatingClarence，andleaningbackwithanairofrespectfulformality。"Iwilltakestraightwhiskey。TheCommodore，onaccountofjustchangingclimate，will，Ibelieve，forthepresentcontenthimselfwithlemonsoda。"

Clarencehadpreviouslyresolvedtotakewhiskey，liketheothers，butalittledoubtfulofthepolitenessofcountermandinghisguest\'sorder，andperhapsslightlyembarrassedbythefactthatalltheothercustomersseemedtohavegatheredroundhimandhispartywithequallyimmovablefaces，hesaidhurriedly:

"Lemonsodaforme，please。"

"TheCommodore，"saidthebarkeeperwithimpassivefeatures，ashebentforwardandwipedthecounterwithprofessionaldeliberation，"isright。Nomatterhowmuchamanmaybeaccustomedallhislifetoliquor，whenheischangingclimate，gentlemen，hesays\'Lemonsodaforme\'allthetime。"

"Perhaps，"saidClarence，brightening，"youwilljointoo?"

"Ishallbeproudonthisoccasion，sir。"

"Ithink，"saidthetallman，stillasceremoniouslyunbendingasbefore，"thattherecanbebutonetoasthere，gentlemen。IgiveyouthehealthoftheCommodore。Mayhisshadowneverbeless。"

Thehealthwasdrunksolemnly。Clarencefelthischeekstingleandinhisexcitementdrankhisownhealthwiththeothers。Yethewasdisappointedthattherewasnotmorejoviality；hewonderedifmenalwaysdranktogethersostiffly。Anditoccurredtohimthatitwouldbeexpensive。Nevertheless，hehadhispurseallreadyostentatiouslyinhishand；infact，thepayingforitoutofhisownmoneywasnottheleastmanlyandindependentpleasurehehadpromisedhimself。"Howmuch?"heasked，withanaffectationofcarelessness。

Thebarkeepercasthiseyeprofessionallyoverthebarroom。"I

thinkyousaidtreatsforthecrowd；callittwentydollarstomakeevenchange。"

Clarence\'sheartsank。HehadheardalreadyoftheexaggerationofCaliforniaprices。Twentydollars!Itwashalfhisfortune。

Nevertheless，withanheroiceffort，hecontrolledhimself，andwithslightlynervousfingerscountedoutthemoney。Itstruckhim，however，ascurious，nottosayungentlemanly，thatthebystanderscranedtheirnecksoverhisshouldertolookatthecontentsofhispurse，althoughsomeslightexplanationwasofferedbythetallman。

"TheCommodore\'spurse，gentlemen，isreallyasingularone。

Permitme，"hesaid，takingitfromClarence\'shandwithgreatpoliteness。"Itisoneofthenewpattern，youobserve，quiteworthyofinspection。"Hehandedittoamanbehindhim，whointurnhandedittoanother，whileachorusof"suthinquitenew，"

"thelateststyle，"followeditinitspassageroundtheroom，andindicatedtoClarenceitswhereabouts。Itwaspresentlyhandedbacktothebarkeeper，whohadbeggedalsotoinspectit，andwho，withanairofscrupulousceremonyinsisteduponplacingithimselfinClarence\'ssidepocket，asifitwereanimportantpartofhisfunction。Thedriverherecalled"allaboard。"Thepassengershurriedlyreseatedthemselves，andtheepisodeabruptlyended。

For，toClarence\'ssurprise，theseattentivefriendsofamomentagoatoncebecameinterestedintheviewsofanewpassengerconcerningthelocalpoliticsofSanFrancisco，andhefoundhimselfutterlyforgotten。Thebonnetlesswomanhadchangedherposition，andherheadwasnolongervisible。Thedisillusionanddepressionthatovercamehimsuddenlywereascompleteashispreviousexpectationsandhopefulnesshadbeenextravagant。Forthefirsttimehisutterunimportanceintheworldandhisinadequacytothisnewlifearoundhimcameuponhimcrushingly。

Theheatandjoltingofthestagecausedhimtofallintoaslightslumberandwhenheawokehefoundhistwoneighborshadjustgotoutatawaysidestation。Theyhadevidentlynotcaredtowakenhimtosay"Good-by。"Fromtheconversationoftheotherpassengershelearnedthatthetallmanwasawell-knowngambler，andtheonewholookedlikeafarmerwasashipcaptainwhohadbecomeawealthymerchant。Clarencethoughtheunderstoodnowwhythelatterhadaskedhimifhecameoffavoyage，andthatthenicknameof"Commodore"giventohim，Clarence，wassomejokeintendedforthecaptain\'sunderstanding。Hemissedthem，forhewantedtotalktothemabouthisrelativeatSacramento，whomhewasnowsosoontosee。Atlast，betweensleepingandwaking，theendofhisjourneywasunexpectedlyreached。Itwasdark，but，being"steamernight，"theshopsandbusinessplaceswerestillopen，andMr。Peytonhadarrangedthatthestage-drivershoulddeliverClarenceattheaddressofhisrelativein"JStreet，"——anaddresswhichClarencehadluckilyremembered。Buttheboywassomewhatdiscomfitedtofindthatitwasalargeofficeorbanking-

house。He，however，descendedfromthestage，andwithhissmallpackinhishandenteredthebuildingasthestagedroveoff，and，addressingoneofthebusyclerks，askedfor"Mr。JacksonBrant。"

Therewasnosuchpersonintheoffice。Thereneverhadbeenanysuchperson。Thebankhadalwaysoccupiedthatbuilding。Wastherenotsomemistakeinthenumber?No；thename，number，andstreethadbeendeeplyengraftedintheboy\'srecollection。Stop!

itmightbethenameofacustomerwhohadgivenhisaddressatthebank。Theclerkwhomadethissuggestiondisappearedpromptlytomakeinquiriesinthecounting-room。Clarence，witharapidlybeatingheart，awaitedhim。Theclerkreturned。Therewasnosuchnameonthebooks。JacksonBrantwasutterlyunknowntoeveryoneintheestablishment。

Foraninstantthecounteragainstwhichtheboywasleaningseemedtoyieldwithhisweight；hewasobligedtosteadyhimselfwithbothhandstokeepfromfalling。Itwasnothisdisappointment，whichwasterrible；itwasnotathoughtofhisfuture，whichseemedhopeless；itwasnothisinjuredprideatappearingtohavewillfullydeceivedMr。Peyton，whichwasmoredreadfulthanallelse；butitwasthesudden，sickeningsensethatHEhimselfhadbeendeceived，tricked，andfooled!Foritflasheduponhimforthefirsttimethatthevaguesenseofwrongwhichhadalwayshauntedhimwasthis——thatthiswasthevileculminationofaplantoGETRIDOFHIM，andthathehadbeendeliberatelylostandledastraybyhisrelativesashelplesslyandcompletelyasauselesscatordog!

Perhapstherewassomethingofthisinhisface，fortheclerk，staringathim，badehimsitdownforamoment，andagainvanishedintothemysteriousinterior。Clarencehadnoconceptionhowlonghewasabsent，orindeedanythingbuthisownbreathlessthoughts，forhewasconsciousofwonderingafterwardswhytheclerkwasleadinghimthroughadoorinthecounterintoaninnerroomofmanydesks，andagainthroughaglassdoorintoasmalleroffice，whereapreternaturallybusy-lookingmansatwritingatadesk。

Withoutlookingup，butpausingonlytoapplyablotting-padtothepaperbeforehim，themansaidcrisply——

"Soyou\'vebeenconsignedtosomeonewhodon\'tseemtoturnup，andcan\'tbefound，eh?Nevermindthat，"asClarencelaidPeyton\'sletterbeforehim。"Can\'treaditnow。Well，IsupposeyouwanttobeshippedbacktoStockton?"

"No!"saidtheboy，recoveringhisvoicewithaneffort。

"Eh，that\'sbusiness，though。Knowanybodyhere?"

"Notalivingsoul；that\'swhytheysentme，"saidtheboy，insuddenrecklessdesperation。Hewasthemorefuriousthatheknewthetearswerestandinginhiseyes。

Theideaseemedtostrikethemanamusingly。"Looksalittlelikeit，don\'tit?"hesaid，smilinggrimlyatthepaperbeforehim。

"Gotanymoney?"

"Alittle。"

"Howmuch?"

"Abouttwentydollars，"saidClarencehesitatingly。Themanopenedadrawerathisside，mechanically，forhedidnotraisehiseyes，andtookouttwoten-dollargoldpieces。"I\'llgotwentybetter，"

hesaid，layingthemdownonthedesk。"That\'llgiveyouachancetolookaround。Comebackhere，ifyoudon\'tseeyourwayclear。"

Hedippedhispenintotheinkwithasignificantgestureasifclosingtheinterview。

Clarencepushedbackthecoin。"I\'mnotabeggar，"hesaiddoggedly。

Themanthistimeraisedhisheadandsurveyedtheboywithtwokeeneyes。"You\'renot，hey?Well，doIlooklikeone?"

"No，"stammeredClarence，asheglancedintotheman\'shaughtyeyes。

"Yet，ifIwereinyourfix，I\'dtakethatmoneyandbegladtogetit。"

"Ifyou\'llletmepayyoubackagain，"saidClarence，alittleashamed，andconsiderablyfrightenedathisimpliedaccusationofthemanbeforehim。

"Youcan，"saidtheman，bendingoverhisdeskagain。

Clarencetookupthemoneyandawkwardlydrewouthispurse。Butitwasthefirsttimehehadtoucheditsinceitwasreturnedtohiminthebar-room，anditstruckhimthatitwasheavyandfull——

indeed，sofullthatonopeningitafewcoinsrolledoutontothefloor。Themanlookedupabruptly。

"Ithoughtyousaidyouhadonlytwentydollars?"heremarkedgrimly。

"Mr。Peytongavemeforty，"returnedClarence，stupefiedandblushing。"Ispenttwentydollarsfordrinksatthebar——and，"hestammered，"I——I——Idon\'tknowhowtherestcamehere。"

"YouspenttwentydollarsforDRINKS?"saidtheman，layingdownhispen，andleaningbackinhischairtogazeattheboy。

"Yes——thatis——Itreatedsomegentlemenofthestage，sir，atDavidson\'sCrossing。"

"Didyoutreatthewholestagecompany?"

"No，sir，onlyaboutfourorfive——andthebar-keeper。Buteverything\'ssodearinCalifornia。Iknowthat。"

"Evidently。Butitdon\'tseemtomakemuchdifferencewithYOU，"

saidtheman，glancingatthepurse。

"Theywantedmypursetolookat，"saidClarencehurriedly，"andthat\'showthethinghappened。SomebodyputHISOWNMONEYbackintoMYpursebyaccident。"

"Ofcourse，"saidthemangrimly。

"Yes，that\'sthereason，"saidClarence，alittlerelieved，butsomewhatembarrassedbytheman\'spersistenteyes。

"Then，ofcourse，"saidtheotherquietly，"youdon\'trequiremytwentydollarsnow。"

"But，"returnedClarencehesitatingly，"thisisn\'tMYmoney。I

mustfindoutwhoitbelongsto，andgiveitbackagain。Perhaps，"

headdedtimidly，"Imightleaveitherewithyou，andcallforitwhenIfindtheman，orsendhimhere。"

WiththegreatestgravityhehereseparatedthesurplusfromwhatwasleftofPeyton\'sgiftandthetwentydollarshehadjustreceived。Thebalanceunaccountedforwasfortydollars。Helaiditonthedeskbeforetheman，who，stilllookingathim，roseandopenedthedoor。

"Mr。Reed。"

TheclerkwhohadshownClarenceinappeared。

"Openanaccountwith——"HestoppedandturnedinterrogativelytoClarence。

"ClarenceBrant，"saidClarence，coloringwithexcitement。

"WithClarenceBrant。Takethatdeposit"——pointingtothemoney——

"andgivehimareceipt。"Hepausedastheclerkretiredwithawonderinggazeatthemoney，lookedagainatClarence，said，"I

thinkYOU\'LLdo，"andreenteredtheprivateoffice，closingthedoorbehindhim。

IhopeitwillnotbedeemedinconceivablethatClarence，onlyafewmomentsbeforecrushedwithbitterdisappointmentandthehopelessrevelationofhisabandonmentbyhisrelatives，nowfelthimselfliftedupsuddenlyintoanimaginaryheightofindependenceandmanhood。Hewasleavingthebank，inwhichhestoodaminutebeforeafriendlessboy，notasasuccessfulbeggar，forthisimportantmanhaddisclaimedtheidea，butabsolutelyasacustomer!adepositor!abusinessmanlikethegrown-upclientswhowerethrongingtheouteroffice，andbeforetheeyesoftheclerkwhohadpitiedhim!Andhe，Clarence，hadbeenspokentobythisman，whosenamehenowrecognizedastheonethatwasonthedoorofthebuilding——amanofwhomhisfellow-passengershadspokenwithadmiringenvy——abankerfamousinallCalifornia!Willitbedeemedincrediblethatthisimaginativeandhopefulboy，forgettingallelse，theobjectofhisvisit，andeventhefactthatheconsideredthismoneywasnothisown，actuallyputhishatalittleononesideashestrolledoutonhiswaytothestreetsandprospectivefortune?

Twohourslaterthebankerhadanothervisitor。Itchancedtobethefarmer-lookingmanwhohadbeenClarence\'sfellow-passenger。

Evidentlyaprivilegedperson，hewasatonceusheredas"CaptainStevens"intothepresenceofthebanker。Attheendofafamiliarbusinessinterviewthecaptainaskedcarelessly——

"Anylettersforme?"

Thebusybankerpointedwithhispentotheletter"S"inarowofalphabeticallylabeledpigeon-holesagainstthewall。Thecaptain，havingselectedhiscorrespondence，pausedwithaletterinhishand。

"Lookhere，Carden，therearelettershereforsomechapcalled\'JohnSilsbee。\'TheywereherewhenIcalled，tenweeksago。"

"Well?"

"That\'sthenameofthatPikeCountymanwhowaskilledbyInjinsintheplains。The\'Friscopapershadalltheparticularslastnight；maybeit\'sforthatfellow。Ithasn\'tgotapostmark。Wholeftithere?"

Mr。Cardensummonedaclerk。ItappearedthattheletterhadbeenleftbyacertainBrantFauquier，tobecalledfor。

CaptainStevenssmiled。"Brant\'sbeentoobusydealin\'farotothinkof\'emagin，andsincethatshootin\'affairatAngels\'Ihearhe\'sskippedtothesoutherncoastsomewhere。CalJohnson，hisoldchum，wasintheupstagefromStocktonthisafternoon。"

"DidyoucomebytheupstagefromStocktonthisafternoon?"saidCarden，lookingup。

"Yes，asfarasTen-mileStation——rodetherestofthewayhere。"

"Didyounoticeaqueerlittleold-fashionedkid——aboutsohigh——

likearunawayschool-boy?"

"DidI?ByG——d，sir，hetreatedmetodrinks。"

Cardenjumpedfromhischair。"Thenhewasn\'tlying!"

"No!Welethimdoit；butwemadeitgoodforthelittlechapafterwards。Hello!What\'sup?"

ButMr。CardenwasalreadyintheouterofficebesidetheclerkwhohadadmittedClarence。

"YourememberthatboyBrantwhowashere?"

"Yes，sir。"

"Wheredidhego?"

"Don\'tknow，sir。"

"Goandfindhimsomewhereandsomehow。Gotoallthehotels，restaurants，andgin-millsnearhere，andhunthimup。Takesomeonewithyou，ifyoucan\'tdoitalone。Bringhimbackhere，quick!"

Itwasnearlymidnightwhentheclerkfruitlesslyreturned。Itwasthefiercehighnoonof"steamernights"；lightflashedbrilliantlyfromshops，counting-houses，drinking-saloons，andgambling-hells。

Thestreetswereyetfullofeager，hurryingfeet——swiftoffortune，ambition，pleasure，orcrime。Butfromamongthesedeeperharsherfootfallstheechoofthehomelessboy\'slight，innocenttreadseemedtohavediedoutforever。

CHAPTERVIII

WhenClarencewasoncemoreinthebusystreetbeforethebank，itseemedcleartohisboyishmindthat，beingnowcastadriftupontheworldandresponsibletonoone，therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnotatonceproceedtothenearestgoldmines!TheideaofreturningtoMr。PeytonandSusy，asadisownedandabandonedoutcast，wasnottobethoughtof。Hewouldpurchasesomekindofanoutfit，suchashehadseentheminerscarry，andstartoffassoonashehadgothissupper。Butalthoughoneofhismostdelightfulanticipationshadbeentheunfetteredfreedomoforderingamealatarestaurant，onenteringthefirstonehefoundhimselftheobjectofsomuchcuriosity，partlyfromhissizeandpartlyfromhisdress，whichtheunfortunateboywasbeginningtosuspectwasreallypreposterous，andheturnedawaywithastammeredexcuse，anddidnottryanother。Furtheronhefoundabaker\'sshop，whereherefreshedhimselfwithsomegingerbreadandlemonsoda。Atanadjacentgroceryhepurchasedsomeherrings，smokedbeef，andbiscuits，asfutureprovisionsforhis"pack"orkit。Thenbeganhisrealquestforanoutfit。Inanhourhehadsecured——ostensiblyforsomefriend，toavoidcuriousinquiry——apan，ablanket，ashovelandpick，allofwhichhedepositedatthebaker\'s，hisunostentatiousheadquarters，withtheexceptionofapairofdisguisinghighbootsthathalfhidhissailortrousers，whichhekepttoputonatthelast。Eventohisinexperiencethecostofthesearticlesseemedenormous；whenhispurchaseswerecomplete，ofhisentirecapitalscarcelyfourdollarsremained!

Yetinthefondillusionsofboyhoodtheserudeappointmentsseemedpossessedoffarmorevaluethanthegoldhehadgiveninexchangeforthem，andhehadenjoyedachild\'sdelightintestingthetransformingmagicofmoney。

Meanwhile，thefeverishcontactofthecrowdedstreethad，strangetosay，increasedhisloneliness，whiletheruderjovialityofitsdissipationsbegantofillhimwithvagueuneasiness。Thepassingglimpseofdancinghallsandgaudilywhirledfiguresthatseemedonlyfeminineintheirapparel；theshoutsandboisterouschorusesfromconcertrooms；thegroupsofdrunkenroisterersthatcongregatedaroundthedoorsofsaloonsor，hilariouslychargingdownthestreets，elbowedhimagainstthewall，orhumorouslyinsistedonhiscompany，discomposedandfrightenedhim。Hehadknownrudecompanionshipbefore，butitwasserious，practical，andundercontrol。Therewassomethinginthisvulgardegradationofintellectandpower——qualitiesthatClarencehadalwaysboyishlyworshiped——whichsickenedanddisillusionedhim。Lateronapistolshotinacrowdbeyond，therushofeagermenpasthim，thedisclosureofalimpandhelplessfigureagainstthewall，theclosingofthecrowdagainaroundit，althoughitstirredhimwithafearfulcuriosity，actuallyshockedhimlesshopelesslythantheirbrutishenjoymentsandabandonment。

Itwasinoneoftheserushesthathehadbeencrushedagainstaswingingdoor，which，givingwaytohispressure，disclosedtohiswonderingeyesalong，glitteringlyadorned，andbrightlylitroom，denselyfilledwithasilent，attentivethronginattitudesofdecorousabstractionandpreoccupation，thateventheshoutsandtumultatitsverydoorscouldnotdisturb。Menofallranksandconditions，plainlyorelaboratelyclad，weregroupedtogetherunderthismagicspellofsilenceandattention。Thetablesbeforethemwerecoveredwithcardsandlooseheapsofgoldandsilver。A

clicking，therattlingofanivoryball，andthefrequent，formal，lazyreiterationofsomeunintelligiblesentencewasallthatheheard。ButbyasuddeninstinctheUNDERSTOODitall。Itwasagamblingsaloon!

Encouragedbythedecorousstillness，andthefactthateverybodyappearedtoomuchengagedtonoticehim，theboydrewtimidlybesideoneofthetables。Itwascoveredwithanumberofcards，onwhichwereplacedcertainsumsofmoney。Lookingdown，Clarencesawthathewasstandingbeforeacardthatasyethadnothingonit。Asingleplayerathissidelookedup，glancedatClarencecuriously，andthenplacedhalfadozengoldpiecesonthevacantcard。Absorbedinthegeneralaspectoftheroomandtheplayers，Clarencedidnotnoticethathisneighborwontwice，andevenTHRICE，uponthatcard。Becomingaware，however，thattheplayerwhilegatheringinhisgains，wassmilinglyregardinghimhemovedinsomeembarrassmenttotheotherendofthetable，wherethereseemedanothergapinthecrowd。Itsochancedthattherewasalsoanothervacantcard。ThepreviousneighborofClarenceinstantlyshovedasumofmoneyacrossthetableonthevacantcardandwon!