下载辰思小说免费APP
Atsunsethourtheforestwasstill，lonely，sweetwithtangoffirandspruce，blazingingoldandredandgreen；andthemanwhoglidedonunderthegreattreesseemedtoblendwiththecolorsand，disappearing，tohavebecomeapartofthewildwoodland。
OldBaldy，highestoftheWhiteMountains，stooduproundandbare，rimmedbrightgoldinthelastglowofthesettingsun。Then，asthefiredroppedbehindthedomedpeak，achange，acoldanddarkeningblight，passeddowntheblackspear-pointedslopesoverallthatmountainworld。
Itwasawild，richlytimbered，andabundantlywateredregionofdarkforestsandgrassyparks，tenthousandfeetabovesea-level，isolatedonallsidesbythesouthernArizonadesert——thevirginhomeofelkanddeer，ofbearandlion，ofwolfandfox，andthebirthplaceaswellasthehiding-placeofthefierceApache。
Septemberinthatlatitudewasmarkedbythesuddencoolnightbreezefollowingshortlyaftersundown。Twilightappearedtocomeonitswings，asdidfaintsounds，notdistinguishablebeforeinthestillness。
MiltDale，manoftheforest，haltedattheedgeofatimberedridge，tolistenandtowatch。Beneathhimlayanarrowvalley，openandgrassy，fromwhichroseafaintmurmurofrunningwater。Itsmusicwaspiercedbythewildstaccatoyelpofahuntingcoyote。Fromoverheadinthegiantfircameatwitteringandrustlingofgrousesettlingforthenight；andfromacrossthevalleydriftedthelastlowcallsofwildturkeysgoingtoroost。
ToDale\'skeenearthesesoundswerealltheyshouldhavebeen，betokeninganunchangedserenityofforestland。Hewasglad，forhehadexpectedtoheartheclipclopofwhitemen\'shorses——whichtohearupinthosefastnesseswashatefultohim。HeandtheIndianwerefriends。Thatfiercefoehadnoenmitytowardthelonehunter。Buttherehidsomewhereintheforestagangofbadmen，sheep-thieves，whomDaledidnotwanttomeet。
Ashestartedoutupontheslope，asuddenflaringoftheafterglowofsunsetfloodeddownfromOldBaldy，fillingthevalleywithlightsandshadows，yellowandblue，liketheradianceofthesky。Thepoolsinthecurvesofthebrookshonedarklybright。Dale\'sgazesweptupanddownthevalley，andthentriedtopiercetheblackshadowsacrossthebrookwherethewallofsprucestoodup，itsspearedandspikedcrestagainstthepaleclouds。Thewindbegantomoaninthetreesandtherewasafeelingofrainintheair。
Dale，strikingatrail，turnedhisbacktothefadingafterglowandstrodedownthevalley。
Withnightathandandarain-stormbrewing，hedidnotheadforhisowncamp，somemilesdistant，butdirectedhisstepstowardanoldlogcabin。Whenhereacheditdarknesshadalmostsetin。Heapproachedwithcaution。Thiscabin，likethefewothersscatteredinthevalleys，mightharborIndiansorabearorapanther。Nothing，however，appearedtobethere。ThenDalestudiedthecloudsdrivingacrossthesky，andhefeltthecooldampnessofafine，mistyrainonhisface。Itwouldrainoffandonduringthenight。
Whereuponheenteredthecabin。
Andthenextmomentheheardquickhoof-beatsoftrottinghorses。Peeringout，hesawdim，movingformsinthedarkness，quitecloseathand。Theyhadapproachedagainstthewindsothatsoundhadbeendeadened。Fivehorseswithriders，Dalemadeout——sawthemloomclose。Thenheheardroughvoices。Quicklyheturnedtofeelinthedarkforaladderheknewledtoaloft；andfindingit，hequicklymounted，takingcarenottomakeanoisewithhisrifle，andlaydownuponthefloorofbrushandpoles。Scarcelyhadhedonesowhenheavysteps，withaccompanimentofclinkingspurs，passedthroughthedoorbelowintothecabin。
"Wal，Beasley，areyouhere？"queriedaloudvoice。
Therewasnoreply。Themanbelowgrowledunderhisbreath，andagainthespursjingled。
"Fellars，Beasleyain\'thereyet，"hecalled。"Putthehossesundertheshed。We\'llwait。"
"Wait，huh！"cameaharshreply。"Mebbeallnight——an\'wegotnuthin\'toeat。"
"Shutup，Moze。Reckonyou\'renogoodforanythin\'buteatin\'。Putthemhossesawayan\'someofyourustlefire-woodinhere。"
Low，mutteredcurses，thenmingledwithdullthudsofhoofsandstrainofleatherandheavesoftiredhorses。
Anothershuffling，clinkingfootstepenteredthecabin。
"Snake，it\'dbeensensetofetchapackalong，"drawledthisnewcomer。
"Reckonso，Jim。Butwedidn\'t，an\'what\'stheusehollerin\'？Beasleywon\'tkeepuswaitin\'long。"
Dale，lyingstillandprone，feltaslowstartinallhisblood——athrillingwave。Thatdeep-voicedmanbelowwasSnakeAnson，theworstandmostdangerouscharacteroftheregion；andtheothers，undoubtedly，composedhisgang，longnotoriousinthatsparselysettlecountry。AndtheBeasleymentioned——hewasoneofthetwobiggestranchersandsheep-raisersoftheWhiteMountainranges。WhatwasthemeaningofarendezvousbetweenSnakeAnsonandBeasley？
MiltDaleansweredthatquestiontoBeasley\'sdiscredit；andmanystrangematterspertainingtosheepandherders，alwaysamysterytothelittlevillageofPine，nowbecameasclearasdaylight。
Othermenenteredthecabin。
"Itain\'ta-goin\'torainmuch，"saidone。Thencameacrashofwoodthrowntotheground。
"Jim，hyar\'sachunkofpinelog，dryaspunk，"saidanother。
Rustlingsandslowfootsteps，andthenheavythudsattestedtotheprobabilitythatJimwasknockingtheendofaloguponthegroundtosplitoffacornerwherebyahandfulofdrysplinterscouldbeprocured。
"Snake，lemmeyourpipe，an\'I\'llhevafireinajiffy。"
"Wal，Iwantmyterbaccoan\'Iain\'tcarin\'aboutnofire，"
repliedSnake。
"Reckonyou\'rethemeanestcussinthesewoods，"drawledJim。
Sharpclickofsteelonflint——manytimes——andthenasoundofhardblowingandsputteringtoldofJim\'seffortstostartafire。Presentlythepitchyblacknessofthecabinchanged；therecamealittlecracklingofwoodandtherustleofflame，andthenasteadygrowingroar。
Asitchanced，Dalelayfacedownupontheflooroftheloft，andrightnearhiseyestherewerecracksbetweentheboughs。Whenthefireblazeduphewasfairlywellabletoseethemenbelow。TheonlyonehehadeverseenwasJimWilson，whohadbeenwellknownatPinebeforeSnakeAnsonhadeverbeenheardof。Jimwasthebestofabadlot，andhehadfriendsamongthehonestpeople。ItwasrumoredthatheandSnakedidnotpullwelltogether。
"Firefeelsgood，"saidtheburlyMoze，whoappearedasbroadashewasblack-visaged。"Fall\'ssurea-comin\'……
Nowifonlywehadsomegrub！"
"Moze，there\'sahunkofdeermeatinmysaddle-bag，an\'ifyougitityoucanhavehalf，"spokeupanothervoice。
Mozeshuffledoutwithalacrity。
InthefirelightSnakeAnson\'sfacelookedleanandserpent-like，hiseyesglittered，andhislongneckandallofhislonglengthcarriedouttheanalogyofhisname。
"Snake，what\'sthisheredealwithBeasley？"inquiredJim。
"Reckonyou\'lll\'arnwhenIdo，"repliedtheleader。Heappearedtiredandthoughtful。
"Ain\'twedoneawaywithenoughofthempoorgreaserherders——fornothin\'？"queriedtheyoungestofthegang，aboyinyears，whosehard，bitterlipsandhungryeyessomehowsethimapartfromhiscomrades。
"You\'redeadright，Burt——an\'that\'smystand，"repliedthemanwhohadsentMozeout。"Snake，snow\'llbeflyin\'
roundthesewoodsbeforelong，"saidJimWilson。"Arewegoin\'towinterdownintheTontoBasinoroverontheGila？"
"Reckonwe\'lldosometallridin\'beforewestrikesouth，"
repliedSnake，gruffly。
AtthejunctureMozereturned。
"Boss，Iheerdahosscomin\'upthetrail，"hesaid。
Snakeroseandstoodatthedoor，listening。Outsidethewindmoanedfitfullyandscatteringraindropspattereduponthecabin。
"A-huh！"exclaimedSnake，inrelief。
Silenceensuedthenforamoment，attheendofwhichintervalDaleheardarapidclip-clopontherockytrailoutside。Themenbelowshuffleduneasily，butnoneofthespoke。Thefirecrackedcheerily。SnakeAnsonsteppedbackfrombeforethedoorwithanactionthatexpressedbothdoubtandcaution。
Thetrottinghorsehadhaltedouttheresomewhere。
"Hothere，inside！"calledavoicefromthedarkness。
"Hoyourself！"repliedAnson。
"Thatyou，Snake？"quicklyfollowedthequery。
"Reckonso，"returnedAnson，showinghimself。
Thenewcomerentered。Hewasalargeman，wearingaslickerthatshonewetinthefirelight。Hissombrero，pulledwelldown，shadowedhisface，sothattheupperhalfofhisfeaturesmightaswellhavebeenmasked。Hehadablack，droopingmustache，andachinlikearock。Apotentialforce，maturedandpowerful，seemedtobewrappedinhismovements。
"Hullo，Snake！Hullo，Wilson！"hesaid。"I\'vebackedoutontheotherdeal。Sentforyouon——onanotherlittlematter……particularprivate。"
HereheindicatedwithasignificantgesturethatSnake\'smenweretoleavethecabin。
"A-huh！ejaculatedAnson，dubiously。Thenheturnedabruptly。Moze，youan\'Shadyan\'Burtgowaitoutside。
Reckonthisain\'tthedealIexpected……An\'youcansaddlethehosses。"
Thethreemembersofthegangfiledout，allglancingkeenlyatthestranger，whohadmovedbackintotheshadow。
"Allrightnow，Beasley，"saidAnson，low-voiced。"What\'syourgame？Jim，here，isinonmydeals。"
ThenBeasleycameforwardtothefire，stretchinghishandstotheblaze。
"Nothin\'todowithsheep，"repliedhe。
"Wal，Ireckonednot，"assentedtheother。"An\'say——
whateveryourgameis，Iain\'tlikin\'thewayyoukeptmewaitin\'an\'ridin\'around。WewaitednearalldayatBigSpring。Thenthetgreaserrodeupan\'sentushere。We\'realongwayfromcampwithnogruban\'noblankets"
"Iwon\'tkeepyoulong，"saidBeasley。"ButevenifIdidyou\'dnotmind——whenItellyouthisdealconcernsAlAuchincloss——themanwhomadeanoutlawofyou！"
Anson\'ssuddenactionthenseemedaleapofhiswholeframe。
Wilson，likewise，bentforwardeagerly。Beasleyglancedatthedoor——thenbegantowhisper。
"OldAuchinclossisonhislastlegs。He\'sgoin\'tocroak。
He\'ssentbacktoMissouriforaniece——ayounggirl——
an\'hemeanstoleavehisranchesan\'sheep——allhisstocktoher。Seemshehasnooneelse……Themranches——an\'
allthemsheepan\'hosses！Youknowmean\'Alwerepardnersinsheep-raisin\'foryears。HesworeIcheatedhiman\'hethrewmeout。An\'alltheseyearsI\'vebeenswearin\'hedidmedirt——owedmesheepan\'money。I\'vegotasmanyfriendsinPine——an\'allthewaydownthetrail——asAuchinclosshas……An\'Snake，seehere——"
Hepausedtodrawadeepbreathandhisbighandstrembledovertheblaze。Ansonleanedforward，likeaserpentreadytostrike，andJimWilsonwasastensewithhisdivinationoftheplotathand。
"Seehere，"pantedBeasley。"Thegirl\'sduetoarriveatMagdalenaonthesixteenth。That\'saweekfromto-morrow。
She\'lltakethestagetoSnowdrop，wheresomeofAuchincloss\'smenwillmeetherwithateam。"
"A-huh！"gruntedAnsonasBeasleyhaltedagain。"An\'whatofallthet？"
"Shemustn\'tnevergetasfarasSnowdrop！"
"Youwantmetoholdupthestage——an\'getthegirl？"
"Exactly。"
"Wal——an\'whatthen？
Makeoffwithher……Shedisappears。That\'syouraffair……I\'llpressmyclaimsonAuchincloss——houndhim——
an\'bereadywhenhecroakstotakeoverhisproperty。Thenthegirlcancomeback，forallIcare……Youan\'Wilsonfixupthedealbetweenyou。Ifyouhavetolettheganginonitdon\'tgivethemanyhunchastowhoan\'what。This\'llmakeyouarichstake。An\'providin\'，whenit\'spaid，youstrikefornewterritory。"
"Thetmightbewise，"mutteredSnakeAnson。"Beasley，theweakpointinyourgameistheuncertaintyoflife。OldAlistough。Hemayfoolyou。"
"Auchinclossisadyin\'man，"declaredBeasley，withsuchpositivenessthatitcouldnotbedoubted。
"Wal，hesurewasn\'tplumbheartywhenIlastseenhim……Beasley，incaseIplayyourgame——how\'mItoknowthatgirl？"
"Hername\'sHelenRayner，"repliedBeasley，eagerly。"She\'stwentyyearsold。AllofthemAuchinclosseswashandsomean\'
theysayshe\'sthehandsomest。"
"A-huh！……Beasley，this\'ssureabiggerdeal——an\'oneIain\'tfancyin\'……ButIneverdoubtedyourword……
Comeon——an\'talkout。What\'sinitforme？"
"Don\'tletanyoneinonthis。Youtwocanholdupthestage。Why，itwasneverheldup……Butyouwanttomask……Howabouttenthousandsheep——orwhattheybringatPhenixingold？"
JimWilsonwhistledlow。
"An\'leavefornewterritory？"repeatedSnakeAnson，underhisbreath。
"You\'vesaidit。"
"Wal，Iain\'tfancyin\'thegirlendofthisdeal，butyoucancountonme……SeptembersixteenthatMagdalena——
an\'hername\'sHelen——an\'she\'shandsome？"
"Yes。Myherderswillbegindrivin\'southinabouttwoweeks。Later，iftheweatherholdsgood，sendmewordbyoneoftheman\'I\'llmeetyou。"
Beasleyspreadhishandsoncemoreovertheblaze，pulledonhisglovesandpulleddownhissombrero，andwithanabruptwordofpartingstrodeoutintothenight。
"Jim，whatdoyoumakeofhim？"queriedSnakeAnson。
"Pard，he\'sgotusbeattwowaysforSunday，"repliedWilson。
"A-huh！……Wal，let\'sgetbacktocamp。"Andheledthewayout。
Lowvoicesdriftedintothecabin，thencamesnortsofhorsesandstrikinghoofs，andafterthatasteadytrot，graduallyceasing。Oncemorethemoanofwindandsoftpatterofrainfilledtheforeststillness。
CHAPTERII
MiltDalequietlysatuptogaze，withthoughtfuleyes，intothegloom。
Hewasthirtyyearsold。AsaboyoffourteenhehadrunofffromhisschoolandhomeinIowaand，joiningawagon-trainofpioneers，hewasoneofthefirsttoseelogcabinsbuiltontheslopesoftheWhiteMountains。Buthehadnottakenkindlytofarmingorsheep-raisingormonotonoushometoil，andfortwelveyearshehadlivedintheforest，withonlyinfrequentvisitstoPineandShowDownandSnowdrop。Thiswanderingforestlifeofhisdidnotindicatethathedidnotcareforthevillagers，forhedidcare，andhewaswelcomeeverywhere，butthathelovedwildlifeandsolitudeandbeautywiththeprimitiveinstinctiveforceofasavage。
Andonthisnighthehadstumbleduponadarkplotagainsttheonlyoneofallthehonestwhitepeopleinthatregionwhomhecouldnotcallafriend。
"ThatmanBeasley！"hesoliloquized。"Beasley——incahootswithSnakeAnson！……Well，hewasright。AlAuchinclossisonhislastlegs。Pooroldman！WhenItellhimhe\'llneverbelieveME，that\'ssure！"
DiscoveryoftheplotmeanttoDalethathemusthurrydowntoPine。
"Agirl——HelenRayner——twentyyearsold，"hemused。
"Beasleywantshermadeoffwith……Thatmeans——worsethankilled！"
Daleacceptedfactsoflifewiththatequanimityandfatalityacquiredbyonelongversedinthecruelannalsofforestlore。Badmenworkedtheireviljustassavagewolvesrelayedadeer。Hehadshotwolvesforthattrick。Withmen，goodorbad，hehadnotclashed。Oldwomenandchildrenappealedtohim，buthehadneverhadanyinterestingirls。
Theimage，then，ofthisHelenRaynercamestrangelytoDale；andhesuddenlyrealizedthathehadmeantsomehowtocircumventBeasley，nottobefriendoldAlAuchincloss，butforthesakeofthegirl。ProbablyshewasalreadyonherwayWest，alone，eager，hopefulofafuturehome。Howlittlepeopleguessedwhatawaitedthematajourney\'send！Manytrailsendedabruptlyintheforest——andonlytrainedwoodsmencouldreadthetragedy。
"StrangehowIcutacrosscountryto-dayfromSpruceSwamp，"
reflectedDale。Circumstances，movements，usuallywerenotstrangetohim。Hismethodsandhabitswereseldomchangedbychance。Thematter，then，ofhisturningoffacourseoutofhiswayfornoapparentreason，andofhishavingoverheardaplotsingularlyinvolvingayounggirl，wasindeedanadventuretoprovokethought。Itprovokedmore，forDalegrewconsciousofanunfamiliarsmolderingheatalonghisveins。Hewhohadlittletodowiththestrifeofmen，andnothingtodowithanger，felthisbloodgrowhotatthecowardlytraplaidforaninnocentgirl。
"OldAlwon\'tlistentome，"ponderedDale。"An\'evenifhedid，hewouldn\'tbelieveme。Maybenobodywill……Allthesame，SnakeAnsonwon\'tgetthatgirl。"
WiththeselastwordsDalesatisfiedhimselfofhisownposition，andhisponderingceased。Takinghisrifle，hedescendedfromtheloftandpeeredoutofthedoor。Thenighthadgrowndarker，windier，cooler；brokencloudswerescuddingacrossthesky；onlyafewstarsshowed；finerainwasblowingfromthenorthwest；andtheforestseemedfullofalow，dullroar。
"ReckonI\'dbetterhanguphere，"hesaid，andturnedtothefire。Thecoalswererednow。Fromthedepthsofhishunting-coatheprocuredalittlebagofsaltandsomestripsofdriedmeat。Thesestripshelaidforamomentonthehotembers，untiltheybegantosizzleandcurl；thenwithasharpenedstickheremovedthemandatelikeahungryhuntergratefulforlittle。
Hesatonablockofwoodwithhispalmsspreadtothedyingwarmthofthefireandhiseyesfixeduponthechanging，glowing，goldenembers。Outside，thewindcontinuedtoriseandthemoanoftheforestincreasedtoaroar。Dalefeltthecomfortablewarmthstealingoverhim，drowsilylulling；
andheheardthestorm-windinthetrees，nowlikeawaterfall，andanonlikearetreatingarmy，andagainlowandsad；andhesawpicturesintheglowingembers，strangeasdreams。
Presentlyheroseand，climbingtotheloft，hestretchedhimselfout，andsoonfellasleep。
Whenthegraydawnbrokehewasonhisway，\'cross-country，tothevillageofPine。
Duringthenightthewindhadshiftedandtherainhadceased。Asuspicionoffrostshoneonthegrassinopenplaces。Allwasgray——theparks，theglades——anddeeper，darkergraymarkedtheaislesoftheforest。Shadowslurkedunderthetreesandthesilenceseemedconsistentwithspectralforms。Thentheeastkindled，thegraylightened，thedreamingwoodlandawoketothefar-reachingraysofaburstingredsun。
ThiswasalwaysthehappiestmomentofDale\'slonelydays，assunsetwashissaddest。Heresponded，andtherewassomethinginhisbloodthatansweredthewhistleofastagfromanear-byridge。Hisstrideswerelong，noiseless，andtheyleftdarktracewherehisfeetbrushedthedew-ladengrass。
Dalepursuedazigzagcourseovertheridgestoescapethehardestclimbing，butthe"senacas"——thoseparklikemeadowssonamedbyMexicansheep-herders——wereasroundandlevelasiftheyhadbeenmadebymaninbeautifulcontrasttothedark-green，rough，andruggedridges。Bothopensenacaanddensewoodedridgeshowedtohisquickeyeanabundanceofgame。Thecrackingoftwigsanddisappearingflashofgrayamongthespruces，aroundblacklumberingobject，atwitteringinthebrush，andstealthysteps，werealleasysignsforDaletoread。Once，ashenoiselesslyemergedintoalittleglade，heespiedaredfoxstalkingsomequarry，which，asheadvanced，provedtobeaflockofpartridges。Theywhirredup，brushingthebranches，andthefoxtrottedaway。IneverysenacaDaleencounteredwildturkeysfeedingontheseedsofthehighgrass。
Ithadalwaysbeenhiscustom，onhisvisitstoPine，tokillandpackfreshmeatdowntoseveraloldfriends，whoweregladtogivehimlodging。And，hurriedthoughhewasnow，hedidnotintendtomakeanexceptionofthistrip。
Atlengthhegotdownintothepinebelt，wherethegreat，gnarled，yellowtreessoaredaloft，stately，andalooffromoneanother，andthegroundwasabrown，odorous，springymatofpine-needles，levelasafloor。Squirrelswatchedhimfromallaround，scurryingawayathisnearapproach——
tiny，brown，light-stripedsquirrels，andlargerones，russet-colored，andthesplendiddark-grayswiththeirwhitebushytailsandplumedears。
Thisbeltofpineendedabruptlyuponwide，gray，rolling，openland，almostlikeaprairie，withfoot-hillsliftingnearandfar，andthered-goldblazeofaspenthicketscatchingthemorningsun。HereDaleflushedaflockofwildturkeys，upwardoffortyinnumber，andtheirsubduedcolorofgrayfleckedwithwhite，andgraceful，sleekbuild，showedthemtobehens。Therewasnotagobblerintheflock。Theybegantorunpell-melloutintothegrass，untilonlytheirheadsappearedbobbingalong，andfinallydisappeared。Dalecaughtaglimpseofskulkingcoyotesthatevidentlyhadbeenstalkingtheturkeys，andastheysawhimanddartedintothetimberhetookaquickshotatthehindmost。Hisbulletstrucklow，ashehadmeantitto，buttoolow，andthecoyotegotonlyadustingofearthandpine-needlesthrownupintohisface。Thisfrightenedhimsothatheleapedasideblindlytobuttintoatree，rolledover，gainedhisfeet，andthenthecoveroftheforest。
Dalewasamusedatthis。Hishandwasagainstallthepredatorybeastsoftheforest，thoughhehadlearnedthatlionandbearandwolfandfoxwereallasnecessarytothegreatschemeofnatureaswerethegentle，beautifulwildcreaturesuponwhichtheypreyed。Butsomehelovedbetterthanothers，andsohedeploredtheinexplicablecruelty。
Hecrossedthewide，grassyplainandstruckanothergradualdescentwhereaspensandpinescrowdedashallowravineandwarm，sun-lightedgladesborderedalongasparklingbrook。
Herebeheardaturkeygobble，andthatwasasignalforhimtochangehiscourseandmakeacrouching，silentdetouraroundaclumpofaspens。Inasunnypatchofgrassadozenormorebiggobblersstood，allsuspiciouslyfacinginhisdirection，headserect，withthatwildaspectpeculiartotheirspecies。Oldwildturkeygobblerswerethemostdifficultgametostalk。Daleshottwoofthem。Theothersbegantorunlikeostriches，thuddingovertheground，spreadingtheirwings，andwiththatrunningstartlaunchedtheirheavybodiesintowhirringflight。Theyflewlow，atabouttheheightofamanfromthegrass，andvanishedinthewoods。
Dalethrewthetwoturkeysoverhisshoulderandwentonhisway。Soonhecametoabreakintheforestlevel，fromwhichhegazeddownaleague-longslopeofpineandcedar，outuponthebare，glisteningdesert，stretchingaway，endlesslyrollingouttothedim，darkhorizonline。
ThelittlehamletofPinelayonthelastlevelofsparselytimberedforest。Aroad，runningparallelwithadark-watered，swift-flowingstream，dividedtheclusteroflogcabinsfromwhichcolumnsofbluesmokedriftedlazilyaloft。Fieldsofcornandfieldsofoats，yellowinthesunlight，surroundedthevillage；andgreenpastures，dottedwithhorsesandcattle，reachedawaytothedenserwoodland。
Thissiteappearedtobeanaturalclearing，fortherewasnoevidenceofcuttimber。Thescenewasrathertoowildtobepastoral，butitwasserene，tranquil，givingtheimpressionofaremotecommunity，prosperousandhappy，driftingalongthepeacefultenorofsequesteredlives。
Dalehaltedbeforeaneatlittlelogcabinandalittlepatchofgardenborderedwithsunflowers。Hiscallwasansweredbyanoldwoman，grayandbent，butremarkablyspry，whoappearedatthedoor。
"Why，land\'ssakes，ifitain\'tMiltDale！"sheexclaimed，inwelcome。
"Reckonit\'sme，Mrs。Cass，"hereplied。"An，I\'vebroughtyouaturkey。"
"Milt，you\'rethatgoodboywhoneverforgitsoldWidowCass……Whatagobbler！FirstoneI\'veseenthisfall。
MymanTomusedtofetchhomegobblerslikethat……An\'
mebbehe\'llcomehomeagainsometime。"
Herhusband，TomCass，hadgoneintotheforestyearsbeforeandhadneverreturned。Buttheoldwomanalwayslookedforhimandnevergaveuphope。
"Menhavebeenlostintheforestan\'yetcomeback，"
repliedDale，ashehadsaidtohermanyatime。
"Comerightin。Youairhungry，Iknow。Now，son，whenlastdidyoueatafresheggoraflapjack？"
"Youshouldremember，"heanswered，laughing，ashefollowedherintoasmall，cleankitchen。
"Laws-a\'-me！An\'thet\'smonthsago，"shereplied，shakinghergrayhead。"Milt，youshouldgiveupthatwildlife——
an\'marry——an\'haveahome。"
"Youalwaystellmethat。"
"Yes，an\'I\'llseeyoudoityet……Nowyousetthere，an\'prettysoonI\'llgiveyouthettoeatwhich\'llmakeyourmouthwater。"
"What\'sthenews，Auntie？"heasked。
"Narynewsinthisdeadplace。Why，nobody\'sbeentoSnowdropintwoweeks！……SaryJonesdied，pooroldsoul——she\'sbetteroff——an\'oneofmycowsrunaway。Milt，she\'swildwhenshegitslooseinthewoods。An\'you\'llhavetotrackher，\'causenobodyelsecan。An\'JohnDakker\'sheiferwaskilledbyalion，an\'LemHarden\'sfasthoss——
youknowhisfavorite——wasstolebyhoss-thieves。Lemisjestcrazy。An\'thatremindsme，Milt，where\'syourbigranger，thetyou\'dneversellorlend？"
"Myhorsesareupinthewoods，Auntie；safe，Ireckon，fromhorse-thieves。"
"Well，that\'sablessin\'。We\'vehadsomestockstolethissummer，Milt，an\'nomistake。"
Thus，whilepreparingamealforDale，theoldwomanwentonrecountingallthathadhappenedinthelittlevillagesincehislastvisit。Daleenjoyedhergossipandquaintphilosophy，anditwasexceedinglygoodtositathertable。
Inhisopinion，nowhereelsecouldtherehavebeensuchbutterandcream，suchhamandeggs。Besides，shealwayshadapplepie，itseemed，atanytimehehappenedin；andapplepiewasoneofDale\'sfewregretswhileupinthelonelyforest。
"How\'soldAlAuchincloss？"presentlyinquiredDale。
"Poorly——poorly，"sighedMrs。Cass。"Buthetrampsan\'
ridesaroundsameasever。Al\'snotlongforthisworld……An\'，Milt，thatremindsme——there\'sthebiggestnewsyoueverheard。"
"Youdon\'tsayso！"exclaimedDale，toencouragetheexcitedoldwoman。
"AlhassentbacktoSaintJoeforhisniece，HelenRayner。
She\'stoinheritallhisproperty。We\'veheardmuchofher——apurtylass，theysay……Now，MiltDale，here\'syourchance。Stayoutofthewoodsan\'gotowork……Youcanmarrythatgirl！"
"Nochanceforme，Auntie，"repliedDale，smiling。
Theoldwomansnorted。"Muchyouknow！Anygirlwouldhaveyou，MiltDale，ifyou\'donlythrowakerchief。"
"Me！……An\'why，Auntie？"hequeried，halfamused，halfthoughtful。Whenhegotbacktocivilizationhealwayshadtoadjusthisthoughtstotheideasofpeople。
"Why？Ideclare，Milt，youlivesointhewoodsyou\'relikeaboyoften——an\'thensometimesasoldasthehills……There\'snoyoungmantocomparewithyou，hereabouts。An\'
thisgirl——she\'llhaveallthespunkoftheAuchinclosses。"
"Thenmaybeshe\'dnotbesuchacatch，afterall，"repliedDale。
"Wal，you\'venocausetolovethem，that\'ssure。But，Milt，theAuchinclosswomenarealwaysgoodwives。"
"DearAuntie，you\'redreamin\'，"saidDale，soberly。"Iwantnowife。I\'mhappyinthewoods。"
"Airyougoin\'tolivelikeanInjunallyourdays，MiltDale？"shequeried，sharply。
"Ihopeso。"
"Yououghttobeashamed。Butsomelasswillchangeyou，boy，an\'mebbeit\'llbethisHelenRayner。Ihopean\'praysotothet。"
"Auntie，supposin\'shedidchangeme。She\'dneverchangeoldAl。Hehatesme，youknow。"
"Wal，Iain\'tsosure，Milt。ImetAltheotherday。Heinquiredforyou，an\'saidyouwaswild，buthereckonedmenlikeyouwasgoodforpioneersettlements。Lordknowsthegoodturnsyou\'vedonethisvillage！Milt，oldAldoesn\'tapproveofyourwildlife，butheneverhadnohardfeelin\'stillthettamelionofyourskilledsomanyofhissheep。"
"Auntie，Idon\'tbelieveTomeverkilledAl\'ssheep，"
declaredDale，positively。
"Wal，Althinksso，an\'manyotherpeople，"repliedMrs。
Cass，shakinghergrayheaddoubtfully。"Youneversworehedidn\'t。An\'therewasthemtwosheep-herderswhodidsweartheyseenhim。"
"Theyonlysawacougar。An\'theyweresoscaredtheyran。"
"Whowouldn\'t？Thetbigbeastisenoughtoscareanyone。
Forland\'ssakes，don\'teverfetchhimdownhereagain！I\'llneverforgitthetimeyoudid。Allthefolksan\'childrenan\'hossesinPinebrokean\'runthetday。"
"Yes；butTomwasn\'ttoblame。Auntie，he\'sthetamestofmypets。Didn\'thetrytoputhisheadonyourlapan\'lickyourhand？"
"Wal，Milt，Iain\'tgainsayin\'yourcougarpetdidn\'tactbetter\'nalotofpeopleIknow。Ferhedid。Butthelooksofhiman\'what\'sbeensaidwasenoughforme。"
"An\'what\'sallthat，Auntie？"
"Theysayhe\'swildwhenoutofyoursight。An\'thethe\'dtrailan\'killanythin\'youputhimafter。"
"Itrainedhimtobejustthatway。"
"Wal，leaveTomtohomeupinthewoods-whenyouvisitus。"
Dalefinishedhisheartymeal，andlistenedawhilelongertotheoldwoman\'stalk；then，takinghisrifleandtheotherturkey，hebadehergood-by。Shefollowedhimout。
"Now，Milt，you\'llcomesoonagain，won\'tyou——jesttoseeAl\'sniece——who\'llbehereinaweek？"
"IreckonI\'lldropinsomeday……Auntie，haveyouseenmyfriends，theMormonboys？"
"No，I\'ain\'tseentheman\'don\'twantto，"sheretorted。
"MiltDale，ifanyoneevercorralsyouit\'llbeMormons。"
"Don\'tworry，Auntie。Ilikethoseboys。Theyoftenseemeupinthewoodsan\'askmetohelpthemtrackahossorhelpkillsomefreshmeat。"
"They\'reworkin\'forBeasleynow。"
"Isthatso？"rejoinedDale，withasuddenstart。"An\'whatdoin\'？"
"Beasleyisgettin\'sorichhe\'sbuildin\'afence，an\'
didn\'thaveenoughhelp，soIhear。"
"Beasleygettin\'rich！"repeatedDale，thoughtfully。"Moresheepan\'horsesan\'cattlethanever，Ireckon？"
"Laws-a\'-me！Why，Milt，Beasley\'ain\'tanyideawhatheowns。Yes，he\'sthebiggestmanintheseparts，sincepooroldAl\'stooktofailin\'。IreckonAl\'shealthain\'tnoneimprovedbyBeasley\'ssuccess。They\'vebadsomebitterquarrelslately——soIhear。Alain\'twhathewas。"
Dalebadegood-byagaintohisoldfriendandstrodeaway，thoughtfulandserious。Beasleywouldnotonlybedifficulttocircumvent，buthewouldbedangeroustooppose。Theredidnotappearmuchdoubtofhisdrivinghiswayrough-shodtothedominanceofaffairsthereinPine。Dale，passingdowntheroad，begantomeetacquaintanceswhohadheartywelcomeforhispresenceandinterestinhisdoings，sothathisponderingwasinterruptedforthetimebeing。Hecarriedtheturkeytoanotheroldfriend，andwhenheleftherhousehewentontothevillagestore。Thiswasalargelogcabin，roughlycoveredwithclapboards，withawideplankplatforminfrontandahitching-railintheroad。Severalhorseswerestandingthere，andagroupoflazy，shirt-sleevedloungers。
"I\'llbedoggonedifitain\'tMiltDale！"exclaimedone。
"Howdy，Milt，oldbuckskin！Rightdowngladtoseeyou，"
greetedanother。
"Hello，Dale！Youairshoregoodforsoreeyes，"drawledstillanother。
AfteralongperiodofabsenceDalealwaysexperiencedasingularwarmthoffeelingwhenhemettheseacquaintances。
Itfadedquicklywhenhegotbacktotheintimacyofhiswoodland，andthatwasbecausethepeopleofPine，withfewexceptions——thoughtheylikedhimandgreatlyadmiredhisoutdoorwisdom——regardedhimasasortofnonentity。
Becausehelovedthewildandpreferredittovillageandrangelife，theyhadclassedhimasnotoneofthem。Somebelievedhimlazy；othersbelievedhimshiftless；othersthoughthimanIndianinmindandhabits；andthereweremanywhocalledhimslow-witted。Thentherewasanothersidetotheirregardforhim，whichalwaysaffordedhimgood-naturedamusement。Twoofthisgroupaskedhimtobringinsometurkeyorvenison；anotherwantedtohuntwithhim。
LemHardencameoutofthestoreandappealedtoDaletorecoverhisstolenhorse。Lem\'sbrotherwantedawild-runningmaretrackedandbroughthome。JesseLyonswantedacoltbroken，andbrokenwithpatience，notviolence，aswasthemethodofthehard-ridingboysatPine。
SooneandalltheybesiegedDalewiththeirselfishneeds，allunconsciousoftheflatteringnatureoftheseovertures。
Andonthemomenttherehappenedbytwowomenwhoseremarks，astheyenteredthestore，borestrongtestimonytoDale\'spersonality。
"Ifthereain\'tMiltDale！"exclaimedtheolderofthetwo。
"Howlucky！Mycow\'ssick，an\'themenarenogooddoctorin\'。I\'lljestaskMiltover。"
"NoonelikeMilt！"respondedtheotherwoman，heartily。
"Gooddaythere——youMiltDale！"calledthefirstspeaker。
"Whenyougitawayfromtheselazymencomeover。"
Daleneverrefusedaservice，andthatwaswhyhisinfrequentvisitstoPinewerewonttobeprolongedbeyondhisownpleasure。
PresentlyBeasleystrodedownthestreet，andwhenabouttoenterthestoreheespiedDale。
"Hullothere，Milt！"hecalled，cordially，ashecameforwardwithextendedhand。Hisgreetingwassincere，butthelightningglanceheshotoverDalewasnotbornofhispleasure。Seenindaylight，Beasleywasabig，bold，bluffman，withstrong，darkfeatures。Hisaggressivepresencesuggestedthathewasagoodfriendandabadenemy。
Daleshookhandswithhim。
"Howareyou，Beasley？"
"Ain\'tcomplainin\'，Milt，thoughIgotmoreworkthanIcanrustle。Reckonyouwouldn\'ttakeajobbossin\'mysheep-herders？"
"ReckonIwouldn\'t，"repliedDale。"Thanksallthesame。"
"What\'sgoin\'onupinthewoods？"
"Plentyofturkeyan\'deer。Lotsofbear，too。TheIndianshaveworkedbackonthesouthsideearlythisfall。ButI
reckonwinterwillcomelatean\'bemild。"
"Good！An\'where\'reyouheadin\'from？"
"\'Cross-countryfrommycamp，"repliedDale，ratherevasively。
"Yourcamp！Nobodyeverfoundthatyet，"declaredBeasley，gruffly。
"It\'supthere，"saidDale。
"Reckonyou\'vegotthatcougarchainedinyourcabindoor？"
queriedBeasley，andtherewasabarelydistinguishableshudderofhismuscularframe。Alsothepupilsdilatedinhishardbrowneyes。
"Tomain\'tchained。An\'Ihaven\'tnocabin，Beasley。"
"Youmeantotellmethatbigbrutestaysinyourcampwithoutbein\'hog-tiedorcorralled！"demandedBeasley。
"Surehedoes。"
"Beatsme！But，then，I\'mqueeroncougars。Havehadmanyacougartrailmeatnight。Ain\'tsayin\'Iwasscared。ButI
don\'tcareforthatbrandofvarmint……Milt，yougoin\'
tostaydownawhile？"
"Yes，I\'llhangaroundsome。"
"Comeovertotheranch。Gladtoseeyouanytime。Someoldhuntin\'pardsofyoursareworkin\'forme。"
"Thanks，Beasley。IreckonI\'llcomeover。"
Beasleyturnedawayandtookastep，andthen，asifwithanafter-thought，hewheeledagain。
"Supposeyou\'veheardaboutoldAlAuchinclossbein\'nearpeteredout？"queriedBeasley。Astrong，ponderouscastofthoughtseemedtoemanatefromhisfeatures。DaledivinedthatBeasley\'snextstepwouldbetofurtherhisadvancementbysomewordorhint。
"WidowCasswastellin\'meallthenews。ToobadaboutoldAl，"repliedDale。
"Sureis。He\'sdonefor。An\'I\'msorry——thoughAl\'sneverbeensquare——"
"Beasley，"interruptedDale，quickly，"youcan\'tsaythattome。AlAuchinclossalwayswasthewhitestan\'squarestmaninthissheepcountry。"
BeasleygaveDaleafleeting，darkglance。
"Dale，whatyouthinkain\'tgoin\'toinfluencefeelin\'onthisrange，"returnedBeasley，deliberately。"Youliveinthewoodsan\'——"
"Reckonlivin\'inthewoodsImightthink——an\'knowawholelot，"interposedDale，justasdeliberately。Thegroupofmenexchangedsurprisedglances。ThiswasMiltDaleindifferentaspect。AndBeasleydidnotconcealapuzzledsurprise。
"Aboutwhat——now？"heasked，bluntly。
"Why，aboutwhat\'sgoin\'oninPine，"repliedDale。
Someofthemenlaughed。
"Shorelotsgoin\'on——an\'nomistake，"putinLemHarden。
ProbablythekeenBeasleyhadneverbeforeconsideredMiltDaleasaresponsibleperson；certainlyneveroneinanywaytocrosshistrail。Butontheinstant，perhaps，someinstinctwasborn，orhedivinedanantagonisminDalethatwasbothsurprisingandperplexing。
"Dale，I\'vedifferenceswithAlAuchincloss——havehadthemforyears，"saidBeasley。"Muchofwhatheownsismine。An\'
it\'sgoin\'tocometome。NowIreckonpeoplewillbetakin\'
sides——someformean\'someforAl。Mostareforme……
Wheredoyoustand？AlAuchinclossneverhadnouseforyou，an\'besideshe\'sadyin\'man。Areyougoin\'onhisside？"
"Yes，IreckonIam。"
"Wal，I\'mgladyou\'vedeclaredyourself，"rejoinedBeasley，shortly，andhestrodeawaywiththeponderousgaitofamanwhowouldbrushanyobstaclefromhispath。
"Milt，thet\'sbad——makin\'Beasleysoreatyou，"saidLemHarden。"He\'sonthewaytobossthisoutfit。"
"He\'ssuregoin\'tostepintoAl\'sboots，"saidanother。
"ThetwaswhiteofMilttostickupferpooroldAl，"
declaredLem\'sbrother。
Dalebrokeawayfromthemandwendedathoughtfulwaydowntheroad。TheburdenofwhatheknewaboutBeasleyweighedlessheavilyuponhim，andtheclose-lippedcoursebehaddecideduponappearedwisest。HeneededtothinkbeforeundertakingtocalluponoldAlAuchincloss；andtothatendhesoughtanhour\'sseclusionunderthepines。
CHAPTERIII
Intheafternoon，Dale，havingaccomplishedsometasksimposeduponhimbyhisoldfriendsatPine，directedslowstepstowardtheAuchinclossranch。
Theflat，squarestoneandlogcabinofunusuallylargesizestooduponalittlehillhalfamileoutofthevillage。A
homeaswellasafort，ithadbeenthefirststructureerectedinthatregion，andtheprocessofbuildinghadmorethanoncebeeninterruptedbyIndianattacks。TheApacheshadforsometime，however，confinedtheirfierceraidstopointssouthoftheWhiteMountainrange。Auchincloss\'shouselookeddownuponbarnsandshedsandcorralsofallsizesandshapes，andhundredsofacresofwell-cultivatedsoil。Fieldsofoatswavedgrayandyellowintheafternoonsun；animmensegreenpasturewasdividedbyawillow-borderedbrook，andhereweredrovesofhorses，andoutontherollingbareflatswerestragglingherdsofcattle。
Thewholeranchshowedmanyyearsoftoilandtheperseveranceofman。Thebrookirrigatedtheverdantvalleybetweentheranchandthevillage。Waterforthehouse，however，camedownfromthehigh，woodedslopeofthemountain，andhadbeenbroughttherebyasimpleexpedient。
Pinelogsofuniformsizehadbeenlaidendtoend，withadeeptroughcutinthem，andtheymadeashininglinedowntheslope，acrossthevalley，andupthelittlehilltotheAuchinclosshome。Nearthehousethehollowedhalvesoflogshadbeenboundtogether，makingacrudepipe。Waterranuphillinthiscase，oneofthefactsthatmadetheranchfamous，asithadalwaysbeenawonderanddelighttothesmallboysofPine。ThetwogoodwomenwhomanagedAuchincloss\'slargehouseholdwereoftenshockedbythestrangethingsthatfloatedintotheirkitchenwiththeever-flowingstreamofclear，coldmountainwater。
AsithappenedthisdayDaleencounteredAlAuchinclosssittingintheshadeofaporch，talkingtosomeofhissheep-herdersandstockmen。Auchinclosswasashortmanofextremelypowerfulbuildandgreatwidthofshoulder。Hehadnograyhairs，andhedidnotlookold，yettherewasinhisfaceacertainweariness，somethingthatresembledslopinglinesofdistress，dimandpale，thattoldofageandtheebb-tideofvitality。Hisfeatures，castinlargemold，wereclean-cutandcomely，andhehadfrankblueeyes，somewhatsad，yetstillfullofspirit。
Dalehadnoideahowhisvisitwouldbetaken，andhecertainlywouldnothavebeensurprisedtobeorderedofftheplace。Hehadnotsetfootthereforyears。ThereforeitwaswithsurprisethathesawAuchinclosswaveawaytheherdersandtakehisentrancewithoutanyparticularexpression。
"Howdy，Al！Howareyou？"greetedDale，easily，asheleanedhisrifleagainstthelogwall。
Auchinclossdidnotrise，butheofferedhishand。
"Wal，MiltDale，IreckonthisisthefirsttimeIeverseenyouthatIcouldn\'tlayyouflatonyourback，"repliedtherancher。Histonewasbothtestyandfullofpathos。
"Itakeityoumeanyouain\'tverywell，"repliedDale。"I\'msorry，Al。"
"No，itain\'tthet。Neverwassickinmylife。I\'mjustplayedout，likeahossthethadbeenstrongan\'willin\'，an\'didtoomuch……Wal，youdon\'tlookadayolder，Milt。Livin\'inthewoodsrollsoveraman\'shead。"
"Yes，I\'mfeelin\'fine，an\'timeneverbothersme。"
"Wal，mebbeyouain\'tsuchafool，afterall。I\'vewonderedlately——sinceIhadtimetothink……But，Milt，youdon\'tgitnoricher。"
"Al，IhaveallIwantan\'need。"
"Wal，then，youdon\'tsupportanybody；youdon\'tdoanygoodintheworld。"
"Wedon\'tagree，Al，"repliedDale，withhisslowsmile。
"Reckonweneverdid……An\'youjestcomeovertopayyourrespectstome，eh？"
"Notaltogether，"answeredDale，ponderingly。"Firstoff，I\'dliketosayI\'llpaybackthemsheepyoualwaysclaimedmytamecougarkilled。"
"Youwill！An\'how\'dyougoaboutthat？"
"Wasn\'tverymanysheep，wasthere？
"Amatteroffiftyhead。"
"Somany！Al，doyoustillthinkoldTomkilledthemsheep？"
"Humph！Milt，Iknowdamnwellhedid。"
"Al，nowhowcouldyouknowsomethin\'Idon\'t？Bereasonable，now。Let\'sdon\'tfalloutaboutthisagain。I\'llpaybackthesheep。Workitout——"
"MiltDale，you\'llcomedownherean\'workoutthatfiftyheadofsheep！"ejaculatedtheoldrancher，incredulously。
"Sure。"
"Wal，I\'llbedamned！"HesatbackandgazedwithshrewdeyesatDale。"What\'sgotintoyou，Milt？Hevyouheardaboutmyniecethet\'scomin\'，an\'thinkyou\'llshineuptoher？"
"Yes，Al，hercomin\'hasagooddealtodowithmydeal，"
repliedDale，soberly。"ButIneverthoughttoshineuptoher，asyouhint。"
"Haw！Haw！You\'rejustlikealltheothercoltshereabouts。
Reckonit\'sagoodsign，too。It\'lltakeawomantofetchyououtofthewoods。But，boy，thisnieceofmine，HelenRayner，willstandyouonyourhead。Ineverseenher。Theysayshe\'sjestlikehermother。An\'NellAuchincloss——whatagirlshewas！"
Dalefelthisfacegrowred。Indeed，thiswasstrangeconversationforhim。
"Honest，Al——"hebegan。
"Son，don\'tlietoanoldman。"
"Lie！Iwouldn\'tlietoanyone。Al，it\'sonlymenwholiveintownsan\'arealwaysmakin\'deals。Iliveintheforest，wherethere\'snothin\'tomakemelie。"
"Wal，nooffensemeant，I\'msure，"respondedAuchincloss。
"An\'mebbethere\'ssomethin\'inwhatyousay……Wewastalkin\'aboutthemsheepyourbigcatkilled。Wal，Milt，I
can\'tproveit，that\'ssure。An\'mebbeyou\'llthinkmedodderywhenItellyoumyreason。Itwasn\'twhatthemgreaserherderssaidaboutseein\'acougarintheherd。"
"Whatwasit，then？"queriedDale，muchinterested。
"Wal，thetdayayearagoIseenyourpet。Hewaslyin\'infrontofthestorean\'youwasinsidetradin\'，fersupplies，Ireckon。Itwaslikemeetin\'anenemyfacetoface。
Because，damnmeifIdidn\'tknowthatcougarwasguiltywhenhelookedinmyeyes！There！"
Theoldrancherexpectedtobelaughedat。ButDalewasgrave。
"Al，Iknowhowyoufelt，"hereplied，asiftheywerediscussinganactionofahumanbeing。"SureI\'dhatetodoubtoldTom。Buthe\'sacougar。An\'thewaysofanimalsarestrange……Anyway，Al，I\'llmakegoodthelossofyoursheep。"
"No，youwon\'t，"rejoinedAuchincloss，quickly。"We\'llcallitoff。I\'mtakin\'itsquareofyoutomaketheoffer。
Thet\'senough。Soforgetyourworryaboutwork，ifyouhadany。"
"There\'ssomethin\'else，Al，Iwantedtosay，"beganDale，withhesitation。"An\'it\'saboutBeasley。"
Auchinclossstartedviolently，andaflameofredshotintohisface。Thenheraisedabighandthatshook。Dalesawinaflashhowtheoldman\'snerveshadgone。
"Don\'tmention——thet——thetgreaser——tome！"burstouttherancher。"Itmakesmesee——red……Dale，Iain\'toverlookin\'thatyouspokeupfermeto-day——stoodfermyside。LemHardentoldme。Iwasglad。An\'thet\'swhy——
to-day——Iforgotouroldquarrel……Butnotawordaboutthetsheep-thief——orI\'lldriveyouofftheplace！"
"But，Al——bereasonable，"remonstratedDale。"It\'snecessarythetIspeakof——ofBeasley。"
"Itain\'t。Nottome。Iwon\'tlisten。"
"Reckonyou\'llhaveto，Al，"returnedDale。"Beasley\'safteryourproperty。He\'smadeadeal——"
"ByHeaven！Iknowthat！"shoutedAuchincloss，totteringup，withhisfacenowblack-red。"Doyouthinkthet\'snewtome？
Shutup，Dale！Ican\'tstandit。"
"ButAl——there\'sworse，"wentonDale，hurriedly。"Worse！
Yourlife\'sthreatened——an\'yourniece，Helen——she\'stobe——"
"Shutup——an\'clearout！"roaredAuchincloss，wavinghishugefists。
Heseemedonthevergeofacollapseas，shakingallover，hebackedintothedoor。Afewsecondsofragehadtransformedhimintoapitifuloldman。
"But，Al——I\'myourfriend——"beganDale，appealingly。
"Friend，hey？"returnedtherancher，withgrim，bitterpassion。"Thenyou\'retheonlyone……MiltDale，I\'mrichan\'I\'madyin\'man。Itrustnobody……But，youwildhunter——ifyou\'remyfriend——proveit！……Gokillthetgreasersheep-thief！DOsomethin\'——an\'thencometalktome！"
Withthathelurched，halffalling，intothehouse，andslammedthedoor。
Dalestoodthereforablankmoment，andthen，takinguphisrifle，hestrodeaway。
TowardsunsetDalelocatedthecampofhisfourMormonfriends，andreacheditintimeforsupper。
John，Roy，Joe，andHalBeemanweresonsofapioneerMormonwhohadsettledthelittlecommunityofSnowdrop。Theywereyoungmeninyears，buthardlaborandhardlifeintheopenhadmadethemlookmatured。Onlyayear\'sdifferenceinagestoodbetweenJohnandRoy，andbetweenRoyandJoe，andlikewiseJoeandHal。Whenitcametoappearancetheyweredifficulttodistinguishfromoneanother。Horsemen，sheep-herders，cattle-raisers，hunters——theyallpossessedlong，wiry，powerfulframes，lean，bronzed，stillfaces，andthequiet，keeneyesofmenusedtotheopen。
Theircampwassituatedbesideaspringinacovesurroundedbyaspens，somethreemilesfromPine；and，thoughworkingforBeasley，nearthevillage，theyhadriddentoandfrofromcamp，afterthehabitofseclusionpeculiartotheirkind。
Daleandthebrothershadmuchincommon，andawarmregardhadsprangup。Buttheirexchangeofconfidenceshadwhollyconcernedthingspertainingtotheforest。Daleatesupperwiththem，andtalkedasusualwhenhemetthem，withoutgivinganyhintofthepurposeforminginhismind。AfterthemealhehelpedJoeroundupthehorses，hobblethemforthenight，anddrivethemintoagrassygladeamongthepines。Later，whentheshadowsstolethroughtheforestonthecoolwind，andthecamp-fireglowedcomfortably，Dalebroachedthesubjectthatpossessedhim。
"An\'soyou\'reworkingforBeasley？"hequeried，bywayofstartingconversation。
"Wewas，"drawledJohn。"Butto-day，bein\'theendofourmonth，wegotourpayan\'quit。Beasleysurewassore。"
"Why\'dyouknockoff？"
Johnessayednoreply，andhisbrothersallhadthatquiet，suppressedlookofknowledgeunderrestraint。
"ListentowhatIcometotellyou，thenyou\'lltalk，"wentonDale。AndhurriedlyhetoldofBeasley\'splottoabductAlAuchincloss\'snieceandclaimthedyingman\'sproperty。
WhenDaleended，ratherbreathlessly，theMormonboyssatwithoutanyshowofsurpriseorfeeling。John，theeldest，tookupastickandslowlypokedtheredembersofthefire，makingthewhitesparksfly。
"Now，Milt，why\'dyoutellusthet？"heasked，guardedly。
"You\'retheonlyfriendsI\'vegot，"repliedDale。"Itdidn\'tseemsafeformetotalkdowninthevillage。Ithoughtofyouboysrightoff。Iain\'tgoin\'toletSnakeAnsongetthatgirl。An\'Ineedhelp，soIcometoyou。"
"Beasley\'sstrongaroundPine，an\'oldAl\'sweakenin\'。
Beasleywillgittheproperty，girlornogirl，"saidJohn。
"Thingsdon\'talwaysturnoutastheylook。Butnomatteraboutthat。Thegirldealiswhatriledme……She\'stoarriveatMagdalenaonthesixteenth，an\'takestageforSnowdrop……Nowwhattodo？IfshetravelsonthatstageI\'llbeonit，youbet。Butsheoughtn\'ttobeinitatall……Boys，somehowI\'mgoin\'tosaveher。Willyouhelpme？
IreckonI\'vebeeninsometightcornersforyou。Sure，this\'sdifferent。Butareyoumyfriends？YouknownowwhatBeasleyis。An\'you\'realllostatthehandsofSnakeAnson\'sgang。You\'vegotfasthosses，eyesfortrackin\'，an\'
youcanhandlearifle。You\'rethekindoffellowsI\'dwantinatightpinchwithabadgang。Willyoustandbymeorseemegoalone？"
ThenJohnBeeman，silently，andwithpaleface，gaveDale\'shandapowerfulgrip，andonebyonetheotherbrothersrosetodolikewise。Theireyesflashedwithhardglintandastrangebitternesshoveredaroundtheirthinlips。
"Milt，mebbeweknowwhatBeasleyisbetter\'nyou，"saidJohn，atlength。"Heruinedmyfather。He\'scheatedotherMormons。WeboyshaveprovedtoourselvesthethegetsthesheepAnson\'sgangsteals……An\'drivestheherdstoPhenix！Ourpeoplewon\'tletusaccuseBeasley。Sowe\'vesufferedinsilence。Myfatheralwayssaid，letsomeoneelsesaythefirstwordagainstBeasley，an\'you\'vecometous！"
RoyBeemanputahandonDale\'sshoulder。He，perhaps，wasthekeenestofthebrothersandtheonetowhomadventureandperilcalledmost。HehadbeenoftenestwithDale，onmanyalongtrail，andhewasthehardestriderandthemostrelentlesstrackerinallthatrangecountry。
"An\'we\'regoin\'withyou，"hesaid，inastrongandrollingvoice。
Theyresumedtheirseatsbeforethefire。Johnthrewonmorewood，andwithacracklingandsparklingtheblazecurledup，fannedbythewind。Astwilightdeepenedintonightthemoaninthepinesincreasedtoaroar。Apackofcoyotescommencedtopiercetheairinstaccatocries。
Thefiveyoungmenconversedlongandearnestly，considering，planning，rejectingideasadvancedbyeach。
DaleandRoyBeemansuggestedmostofwhatbecameacceptabletoall。Huntersoftheirtyperesembledexplorersinslowanddeliberateattentiontodetails。Whattheyhadtodealwithherewasasituationofunlimitedpossibilities；thehorsesandoutfitneeded；alongdetourtoreachMagdalenaunobserved；therescueofastrangegirlwhowouldnodoubtbeself-willedanddeterminedtorideonthestage——therescueforcible，ifnecessary；thefightandtheinevitablepursuit；theflightintotheforest，andthesafedeliveryofthegirltoAuchincloss。
"Then，Milt，willwegoafterBeasley？"queriedRoyBeeman，significantly。
Dalewassilentandthoughtful。
"Sufficientuntotheday！"saidJohn。"An，fellars，let\'sgotobed。"
Theyrolledouttheirtarpaulins，DalesharingRoy\'sblankets，andsoonwereasleep，whiletheredembersslowlyfaded，andthegreatroarofwinddieddown，andtheforeststillnesssetin。
CHAPTERIV
HelenRaynerhadbeenonthewestboundoverlandtrainfullytwenty-fourhoursbeforeshemadeanalarmingdiscovery。
AccompaniedbyhersisterBo，aprecociousgirlofsixteen，HelenhadleftSt。Josephwithaheartsaddenedbyfarewellstolovedonesathome，yetfullofthrillingandvividanticipationsofthestrangelifeintheFarWest。Allherpeoplehadthepioneerspirit；loveofchange，action，adventure，wasinherblood。ThendutytoawidowedmotherwithalargeandgrowingfamilyhadcalledtoHelentoacceptthisrichuncle\'soffer。Shehadtaughtschoolandalsoherlittlebrothersandsisters；shehadhelpedalonginotherways。Andnow，thoughthetearingupoftherootsofoldlovedtieswashard，thisopportunitywasirresistibleinitscall。Theprayerofherdreamshadbeenanswered。Tobringgoodfortunetoherfamily；totakecareofthisbeautiful，wildlittlesister；toleavetheyellow，sordid，humdrumtownsforthegreat，rolling，boundlessopen；toliveonawonderfulranchthatwassomedaytobeherown；tohavefulfilledadeep，instinctive，andundevelopedloveofhorses，cattle，sheep，ofdesertandmountain，oftreesandbrooksandwildflowers——allthiswasthesumofhermostpassionatelongings，nowinsomemarvelous，fairylikewaytocometrue。
Achecktoherhappyanticipations，ablank，sickeningdashofcoldwateruponherwarmandintimatedreams，hadbeenthediscoverythatHarveRiggswasonthetrain。Hispresencecouldmeanonlyonething——thathehadfollowedher。RiggshadbeentheworstofmanysoretrialsbackthereinSt。Joseph。Hehadpossessedsomeclaimorinfluenceuponhermother，whofavoredhisofferofmarriagetoHelen；hewasneitherattractive，norgood，norindustrious，noranythingthatinterestedher；hewastheboastful，struttingadventurer，notgenuinelyWestern，andheaffectedlonghairandgunsandnotoriety。Helenhadsuspectedtheveracityofthemanyfightsheclaimedhadbeenhis，andalsoshesuspectedthathewasnotreallybigenoughtobebad——asWesternmenwerebad。Butonthetrain，inthestationatLaJunta，oneglimpseofhim，manifestlyspyinguponherwhiletryingtokeepoutofhersight，warnedHelenthatshenowmighthaveaproblemonherhands。
Therecognitionsoberedher。AllwasnottobearoadofrosestothisnewhomeintheWest。Riggswouldfollowher，ifhecouldnotaccompanyher，andtogainhisownendshewouldstooptoanything。Helenfeltthestartlingrealizationofbeingcastuponherownresources，andthenanumbingdiscouragementandlonelinessandhelplessness。Butthesefeelingsdidnotlongpersistinthequickprideandflashofhertemper。Opportunityknockedatherdoorandshemeanttobeathometoit。ShewouldnothavebeenAlAuchincloss\'snieceifshehadfaltered。And，whentemperwassucceededbygenuineanger，shecouldhavelaughedtoscornthisHarveRiggsandhisschemes，whatevertheywere。
Onceandforallshedismissedfearofhim。WhensheleftSt。JosephshehadfacedtheWestwithabeatingheartandahighresolvetobeworthyofthatWest。Homeshadtobemadeoutthereinthatfarcountry，soUncleAlhadwritten，andwomenwereneededtomakehomes。Shemeanttobeoneofthesewomenandtomakeofhersisteranother。AndwiththethoughtthatshewouldknowdefinitelywhattosaytoRiggswhenheapproachedher，soonerorlater，Helendismissedhimfrommind。
Whilethetrainwasinmotion，enablingHelentowatchtheever-changingscenery，andrestingherfromthestrenuoustaskofkeepingBowellinhandatstations，shelapsedagainintodreamygazeatthepineforestsandthered，rockygulliesandthedim，boldmountains。ShesawthesunsetoverdistantrangesofNewMexico——agoldenblazeofglory，asnewtoherasthestrangefanciesborninher，thrillingandfleetingby。Bo\'sraptureswerenotsilent，andtheinstantthesunsankandthecolorfadedshejustasrapturouslyimportunedHelentogetoutthehugebasketoffoodtheybadbroughtfromhome。
Theyhadtwoseats，facingeachother，attheendofthecoach，andpiledthere，withthebasketontop，wasluggagethatconstitutedallthegirlsownedintheworld。Indeed，itwasverymuchmorethantheyhadeverownedbefore，becausetheirmother，inhercareforthemanddesiretohavethemlookwellintheeyesofthisrichuncle，hadspentmoneyandpainstogivethemprettyandserviceableclothes。
Thegirlssattogether，withtheheavybasketontheirknees，andatewhiletheygazedoutatthecool，darkridges。Thetrainclatteredslowlyon，apparentlyoveraroadthatwasallcurves。Anditwassupper-timeforeverybodyinthatcrowdedcoach。IfHelenhadnotbeensoabsorbedbythegreat，wildmountain-landshewouldhavehadmoreinterestinthepassengers。Asitwasshesawthem，andwasamusedandthoughtfulatthemenandwomenandafewchildreninthecar，allmiddle-classpeople，poorandhopeful，travelingouttheretotheNewWesttofindhomes。
Itwassplendidandbeautiful，thisfact，yetitinspiredabriefandinexplicablesadness。Fromthetrainwindow，thatworldofforestandcrag，withitslongbarereachesbetween，seemedsolonely，sowild，sounlivable。Howendlessthedistance！Forhoursandmilesuponmilesnohouse，nohut，noIndiantepee！Itwasamazing，thelengthandbreadthofthisbeautifulland。AndHelen，wholovedbrooksandrunningstreams，sawnowateratall。
Thendarknesssettleddownovertheslow-movingpanorama；acoolnightwindblewinatthewindow；whitestarsbegantoblinkoutoftheblue。Thesisters，withhandsclaspedandheadsnestledtogether，wenttosleepunderaheavycloak。
Earlythenextmorning，whilethegirlswereagaindelvingintotheirapparentlybottomlessbasket，thetrainstoppedatLasVegas。
"Look！Look！"criedBo，inthrillingvoice。"Cowboys！Oh，Nell，look！"
Helen，laughing，lookedfirstathersister，andthoughthowmostofallshewasgoodtolookat。Bowaslittle，instinctwithpulsatinglife，andshehadchestnuthairanddark-blueeyes。Theseeyeswereflashing，roguish，andtheydrewlikemagnets。
Outsideontherudestationplatformwererailroadmen，Mexicans，andagroupofloungingcowboys。Long，lean，bow-leggedfellowstheywere，withyoung，frankfacesandintenteyes。Oneofthemseemedparticularlyattractivewithhissuperbbuild，hisred-bronzefaceandbright-redscarf，hisswinginggun，andthehuge，long，curvedspurs。
EvidentlyhecaughtBo\'sadmiringgaze，for，withawordtohiscompanions，hesaunteredtowardthewindowwherethegirlssat。Hisgaitwassingular，almostawkward，asifhewasnotaccustomedtowalking。Thelongspursjingledmusically。Heremovedhissombreroandstoodatease，frank，cool，smiling。Helenlikedhimonsight，and，lookingtoseewhateffecthehaduponBo，shefoundthatyoungladystaring，frightenedstiff。
"Goodmawnin\'，"drawledthecowboy，withslow，good-humoredsmile。"Nowwheremightyou-allbetravelin\'？"
Thesoundofhisvoice，theclean-cutanddrollgeniality；
seemednewanddelightfultoHelen。
"WegotoMagdalena——thentakestagefortheWhiteMountains，"repliedHelen。
Thecowboy\'sstill，intenteyesshowedsurprise。
"Apachecountry，miss，"hesaid。"IreckonI\'msorry。Thet\'sshorenoplaceforyou-all……Beggin\'yourpawdin——youain\'tMormons？"
"No。We\'reniecesofAlAuchincloss，"rejoinedHelen。
"Wal，youdon\'tsay！I\'vebeendownMagdalenawayan\'heerdofAl……Reckonyou\'regoin\'a-visitin\'？"
"It\'stobehomeforus。"
"Shorethet\'sfine。TheWestneedsgirls……Yes，I\'veheerdofAl。AnoldArizonacattle-maninasheepcountry！
Thet\'sbad……NowI\'mwonderin\'——ifI\'ddriftdowntherean\'askhimforajobridin\'forhim——wouldIgetit？"
Hislazysmilewasinfectiousandhismeaningwasasclearascrystalwater。ThegazehebentuponBosomehowpleasedHelen。Thelastyearortwo，sinceBohadgrownprettierallthetime，shehadbeenamagnetforadmiringglances。Thisoneofthecowboy\'sinspiredrespectandliking，aswellasamusement。ItcertainlywasnotlostuponBo。
"Myuncleoncesaidinaletterthatheneverhadenoughmentorunhisranch，"repliedHelen，smiling。
"ShoreI\'llgo。IreckonI\'djestnaturallydriftthatway——now。"
Heseemedsolaconic，soeasy，sonice，thathecouldnothavebeentakenseriously，yetHelen\'squickperceptionsregisteredadaring，asomethingthatwasbothsuddenandinevitableinhim。HislastwordwasasclearasthesoftlookhefixeduponBo。
Helenhadamischievoustrait，which，subdueitasshewould，occasionallycroppedout；andBo，whoonceinherwilfullifehadbeenrenderedspeechless，offeredsuchatemptation。
"Maybemylittlesisterwillputinagoodwordforyou——
toUncleAl，"saidHelen。Justthenthetrainjerked，andstartedslowly。Thecowboytooktwolongstridesbesidethecar，hisheatedboyishfacealmostonalevelwiththewindow，hiseyes，nowshyandalittlewistful，yetbold，too，fixeduponBo。
"Good-by——Sweetheart！"hecalled。
Hehalted——waslosttoview。
"Well！"ejaculatedHelen，contritely，halfsorry，halfamused。"Whatasuddenyounggentleman！"
Bohadblushedbeautifully。
"Nell，wasn\'theglorious！"sheburstout，witheyesshining。
"I\'dhardlycallhimthat，buthewas-nice，"repliedHelen，muchrelievedthatBohadapparentlynottakenoffenseather。
ItappearedplainthatBoresistedafranticdesiretolookoutofthewindowandtowaveherhand。Butsheonlypeepedout，manifestlytoherdisappointment。
"Doyouthinkhe——he\'llcometoUncleAl\'s？"askedBo。
"Child，hewasonlyinfun。"
"Nell，I\'llbetyouhecomes。Oh，it\'dbegreat！I\'mgoingtolovecowboys。Theydon\'tlooklikethatHarveRiggswhoranafteryouso。"
Helensighed，partlybecauseofthereminderofherodioussuitor，andpartlybecauseBo\'sfuturealreadycalledmysteriouslytothechild。Helenhadtobeatonceamotherandaprotectortoagirlofintenseandwilfulspirit。
Oneofthetrainmendirectedthegirls\'attentiontoagreen，slopingmountainrisingtoabold，bluntbluffofbarerock；and，callingitStarvationPeak，betoldastoryofhowIndianshadoncedrivenSpaniardsupthereandstarvedthem。Bowasintenselyinterested，andthereaftershewatchedmorekeenlythanever，andalwayshadaquestionforapassingtrainman。TheadobehousesoftheMexicanspleasedher，and，thenthetraingotoutintoIndiancountry，wherepueblosappearednearthetrackandIndianswiththeirbrightcolorsandshaggywildmustangs——thenshewasenraptured。
"ButtheseIndiansarepeaceful！"sheexclaimedonce，regretfully。
"Gracious，child！Youdon\'twanttoseehostileIndians，doyou？"queriedHelen。
"Ido，youbet，"wasthefrankrejoinder。
"Well，I\'LLbetthatI\'llbesorryIdidn\'tleaveyouwithmother。"
"Nell——youneverwill！"
TheyreachedAlbuquerqueaboutnoon，andthisimportantstation，wheretheyhadtochangetrains，hadbeenthefirstdreadedanticipationofthejourney。Itcertainlywasabusyplace——fullofjabberingMexicans，stalking，red-faced，wicked-lookingcowboys，lollingIndians。IntheconfusionHelenwouldhavebeenhardputtoittopreservecalmness，withBotowatch，andallthatbaggagetocarry，andtheothertraintofind；butthekindlybrakemanwhohadbeenattentivetothemnowhelpedthemoffthetrainintotheother——aserviceforwhichHelenwasverygrateful。
"Albuquerque\'sahardplace，"confidedthetrainman。"Betterstayinthecar——anddon\'thangoutthewindows……
Goodlucktoyou！"
OnlyafewpassengerswereinthecarandtheywereMexicansattheforwardend。Thisbranchtrainconsistedofonepassenger-coach，withabaggage-car，attachedtoastringoffreight-cars。Helentoldherself，somewhatgrimly，thatsoonshewouldknowsurelywhetherornothersuspicionsofHarveRiggshadwarrant。IfhewasgoingontoMagdalenaonthatdayhemustgointhiscoach。PresentlyBo，whowasnotobeyingadmonitions，drewherheadoutofthewindow。Hereyeswerewideinamaze，hermouthopen。
"Nell！IsawthatmanRiggs！"shewhispered。"He\'sgoingtogetonthistrain。"
"Bo，Isawhimyesterday，"repliedHelen，soberly。"He\'sfollowedyou——the——the——"
"Now，Bo，don\'tgetexcited，"remonstratedHelen。"We\'velefthomenow。We\'vegottotakethingsastheycome。NevermindifRiggshasfollowedme。I\'llsettlehim。"
"Oh！Thenyouwon\'tspeak——haveanythingtodowithhim？"
"Iwon\'tifIcanhelpit。"
Otherpassengersboardedthetrain，dusty，uncouth，raggedmen，andsomehard-featured，poorlycladwomen，markedbytoil，andseveralmoreMexicans。Withbustleandloudtalktheyfoundtheirseveralseats。
