第4章

Thegirlshadconsiderablefunaswellaspainingettingupandkeepingeachothererectuntiltheirlimbswouldholdthemfirmly。Theyweredelightedwiththesprucelean-to。Itfacedtheopenandstoodjustunderthewide-spreadingshelfofrock。Thetinyoutletfromthespringflowedbesideitandspilleditsclearwateroverastone，tofallintoalittlepool。Thefloorofthiswoodlandhabitationconsistedoftipsofspruceboughstoaboutafootindepth，alllaidoneway，smoothandspringy，andsosweetlyodorousthattheairseemedintoxicating。HelenandBoopenedtheirbaggage，andwhatwithuseofthecoldwater，brushandcomb，andcleanblouses，theymadethemselvesfeelascomfortableaspossible，consideringtheexcruciatingaches。Thentheywentouttothecampfire。

Helen\'seyewasattractedbymovingobjectsnearathand。

ThensimultaneouslywithBo\'scryofdelightHelensawabeautifuldoeapproachingunderthetrees。Dalewalkedbesideit。

"Yousurehadalongsleep，"wasthehunter\'sgreeting。"I

reckonyoubothlookbetter。"

"Goodmorning。Orisitafternoon？We\'rejustabletomoveabout，"saidHelen。

"Icouldride，"declaredBo，stoutly。"Oh，Nell，lookatthedeer！It\'scomingtome。"

ThedoehadhungbackalittleasDalereachedthecamp-fire。Itwasagray，slendercreature，smoothassilk，withgreatdarkeyes。Itstoodamoment，longearserect，andthenwithagracefullittletrotcameuptoBoandreachedaslimnoseforheroutstretchedhand。Allaboutit，exceptthebeautifulsofteyes，seemedwild，andyetitwasastameasakitten。Then，suddenly，asBofondledthelongears，itgaveastartand，breakingaway，ranbackoutofsightunderthepines。

"Whatfrightenedit？"askedBo。

Dalepointedupatthewallundertheshelvingroofofrock。

There，twentyfeetfromtheground，curleduponaledge，layahugetawnyanimalwithafacelikethatofacat。

"She\'safraidofTom，"repliedDale。"Recognizeshimasahereditaryfoe，Iguess。Ican\'tmakefriendsofthem。"

"Oh！Sothat\'sTom——thepetlion！"exclaimedBo。"Ugh！Nowonderthatdeerranoff！"

"Howlonghashebeenupthere？"queriedHelen，gazingfascinatedatDale\'sfamouspet。

"Icouldn\'tsay。Tomcomesan\'goes，"repliedDale。"ButI

senthimuptherelastnight。"

"Andhewasthere——perfectlyfree——rightoverus——

whileweslept！"burstoutBo。

"Yes。An\'Ireckonyousleptthesaferforthat。"

"Ofallthings！Nell，isn\'theamonster？Buthedoesn\'tlooklikealion——anAfricanlion。He\'sapanther。Isawhislikeatthecircusonce。"

"He\'sacougar，"saidDale。"Thepantherislongandslim。

Tomisnotonlylong，butthickan\'round。I\'vehadhimfouryears。An\'hewasakittennobigger\'nmyfistwhenIgothim。"

"Isheperfectlytame——safe？"askedHelen，anxiously。

"I\'venevertoldanybodythatTomwassafe，butheis，"

repliedDale。"Youcanabsolutelybelieveit。Awildcougarwouldn\'tattackamanunlesscorneredorstarved。An\'Tomislikeabigkitten。"

Thebeastraisedhisgreatcatlikeface，withitssleepy，half-shuteyes，andlookeddownuponthem。

"ShallIcallhimdown？"inquiredDale。

ForonceBodidnotfindhervoice。

"Letus——getalittlemoreusedtohim——atadistance，"

repliedHelen，withalittlelaugh。

"Ifhecomestoyou，justrubhisheadan\'you\'llseehowtameheis，"saidDale。"Reckonyou\'rebothhungry？"

"Notsovery，"returnedHelen，awareofhispenetratinggraygazeuponher。

"Well，Iam，"vouchsafedBo。

"Soonastheturkey\'sdonewe\'lleat。Mycampisroundbetweentherocks。I\'llcallyou。"

NotuntilhisbroadbackwasturneddidHelennoticethatthehunterlookeddifferent。Thenshesawheworealighter，cleanersuitofbuckskin，withnocoat，andinsteadofthehigh-heeledhorseman\'sbootsheworemoccasinsandleggings。

Thechangemadehimappearmorelithe。

"Nell，Idon\'tknowwhatyouthink，but_I_callhimhandsome，"declaredBo。

Helenhadnoideawhatshethought。

"Let\'strytowalksome，"shesuggested。

Sotheyessayedthatpainfultaskandgotasfarasapinelogsomefewrodsfromtheircamp。Thispointwasclosetotheedgeofthepark，fromwhichtherewasanunobstructedview。

"My！Whataplace！"exclaimedBo，witheyeswideandround。

"Oh，beautiful！"breathedHelen。

Anunexpectedblazeofcolordrewhergazefirst。Outoftheblackspruceslopesshonepatchesofaspens，gloriouslyredandgold，andlowdownalongtheedgeoftimbertroopsofaspensranoutintothepark，notyetsoblazingasthoseabove，butpurpleandyellowandwhiteinthesunshine。

Massesofsilverspruce，liketreesinmoonlight，borderedthepark，sendingouthereandthereanisolatedtree，sharpasaspear，withunder-branchesclosetotheground。Longgolden-greengrass，resemblinghalf-ripewheat，coveredtheentirefloorofthepark，gentlywavingtothewind。Abovesheeredtheblack，gold-patchedslopes，steepandunscalable，risingtobuttressesofdark，iron-huedrock。

Andtotheeastcircledtherowsofcliff-bench，grayandoldandfringed，splittingatthetopinthenotchwherethelacy，slumberouswaterfall，likewhitesmoke，fellandvanished，toreappearinwidersheetoflace，onlytofallandvanishagaininthegreendepths。

Itwasaverdantvalley，deep-setinthemountainwalls，wildandsadandlonesome。Thewaterfalldominatedthespiritoftheplace，dreamyandsleepyandtranquil；itmurmuredsweetlyononebreathofwind，andlulledwithanother，andsometimesdiedoutaltogether，onlytocomeagaininsoft，strangeroar。

"ParadisePark！"whisperedBotoherself。

AcallfromDaledisturbedtheirraptures。Turning，theyhobbledwitheagerbutpainfulstepsinthedirectionofalargercamp-fire，situatedtotherightofthegreatrockthatshelteredtheirlean-to。Nohutorhouseshowedthereandnonewasneeded。Hiding-placesandhomesforahundredhunterswerethereinthesectionsofcavernedcliffs，splitoffinbygoneagesfromthemountainwallabove。Afewstatelypinesstoodoutfromtherocks，andaclumpofsilversprucerandowntoabrownbrook。Thiscampwasonlyastepfromthelean-to，roundthecornerofahugerock，yetithadbeenoutofsight。Hereindeedwasevidenceofahunter\'shome——peltsandskinsandantlers，aneatpileofsplitfire-wood，alongledgeofrock，wellsheltered，andloadedwithbagslikeahugepantry-shelf，packsandropesandsaddles，toolsandweapons，andaplatformofdrybrushasshelterforafirearoundwhichhungonpolesavariousassortmentofutensilsforcamp。

"Hyar——yougit！"shoutedDale，andhethrewastickatsomething。Abearcubscamperedawayinhaste。Hewassmallandwoollyandbrown，andhegruntedasheran。Soonhehalted。

"That\'sBud，"saidDale，asthegirlscameup。"Guesshenearstarvedinmyabsence。An\'nowhewantseverythin\'，especiallythesugar。Wedon\'thavesugaroftenuphere。"

"Isn\'thedear？Oh，Ilovehim！"criedBo。"Comeback，Bud。

Come，Buddie。"

Thecub，however，kepthisdistance，watchingDalewithbrightlittleeyes。

"Where\'sMr。Roy？"askedHelen。

"Roy\'sgone。Hewassorrynottosaygood-by。Butit\'simportanthegetsdowninthepinesonAnson\'strail。He\'llhangtoAnson，an\'incasetheygetnearPinehe\'llrideintoseewhereyouruncleis。"

"Whatdoyouexpect？"questionedHelen，gravely。

"\'Mostanythin\'，"hereplied。"Al，Ireckon，knowsnow。

Maybehe\'srustlin\'intothemountainsbythistime。IfhemeetsupwithAnson，wellan\'good，forRoywon\'tbefaroff。An\'sureifherunsacrossRoy，whythey\'llsoonbehere。ButifIwereyouIwouldn\'tcountonseein\'youruncleverysoon。I\'msorry。I\'vedonemybest。Itsureisabaddeal。"

"Don\'tthinkmeungracious，"repliedHelen，hastily。Howplainlyhehadintimatedthatitmustbeprivationandannoyanceforhertobecompelledtoaccepthishospitality！

"Youaregood——kind。Ioweyoumuch。I\'llbeeternallygrateful。"

Dalestraightenedashelookedather。Hisglancewasintent，piercing。Heseemedtobereceivingastrangeorunusualportent。Noneedforhimtosayhehadneverbeforebeenspokentolikethat！

"Youmayhavetostayherewithme——forweeks——maybemonths——ifwe\'vethebadlucktogetsnowedin，"hesaid，slowly，asifstartledatthisdeduction。"You\'resafehere。

Nosheep-thiefcouldeverfindthiscamp。I\'lltakeriskstogetyousafeintoAl\'shands。ButI\'mgoin\'tobeprettysureaboutwhatI\'mdoin\'……So——there\'splentytoeatan\'it\'saprettyplace。"

"Pretty！Why，it\'sgrand！"exclaimedBo。"I\'vecalleditParadisePark。"

"ParadisePark，"herepeated，weighingthewords。"You\'venameditan\'alsothecreek。ParadiseCreek！I\'vebeenheretwelveyearswithnofitnameformyhometillyousaidthat。"

"Oh，thatpleasesme！"returnedBo，withshiningeyes。

"Eatnow，"saidDale。"An\'Ireckonyou\'lllikethatturkey。"

Therewasacleantarpaulinuponwhichwerespreadsteaming，fragrantpans——roastturkey，hotbiscuitsandgravy，mashedpotatoesaswhiteasifpreparedathome，steweddriedapples，andbutterandcoffee。Thisbounteousrepastsurprisedanddelightedthegirls；whentheyhadoncetastedtheroastwildturkey，thenMiltDalehadoccasiontoblushattheirencomiums。

"Ihope——UncleAl——doesn\'tcomeforamonth，"declaredBo，asshetriedtogetherbreath。Therewasabrownspotonhernoseandoneoneachcheek，suspiciouslyclosetohermouth。

Dalelaughed。Itwaspleasanttohearhim，forhislaughseemedunusedanddeep，asifitcamefromtranquildepths。

"Won\'tyoueatwithus？"askedHelen。

"ReckonIwill，"hesaid。"it\'llsavetime，an\'hotgrubtastesbetter。"

Quiteanintervalofsilenceensued，whichpresentlywasbrokenbyDale。

"HerecomesTom。"

Helenobservedwithathrillthatthecougarwasmagnificent，seenerectonall-fours，approachingwithslow，sinuousgrace。Hiscolorwastawny，withspotsofwhitishgray。Hehadbow-legs，bigandroundandfurry，andahugeheadwithgreattawnyeyes。Nomatterhowtamehewassaidtobe，helookedwild。Likeadoghewalkedrightup，anditsohappenedthathewasdirectlybehindBo，withinreachofherwhensheturned。

"Oh，Lord！"criedBo，andupwentbothofherhands，inoneofwhichwasahugepieceofturkey。Tomtookit，notviciously，butneverthelesswithasnapthatmadeHelenjump。Asifbymagictheturkeyvanished。AndTomtookaclosersteptowardBo。Herexpressionoffrightchangedtoconsternation。

"Hestolemyturkey！"

"Tom，comehere，"orderedDale，sharply。Thecougarglidedroundrathersheepishly。"Nowliedownan\'behave。"

Tomcrouchedonall-fours，hisheadrestingonhispaws，withhisbeautifultawnyeyes，lightandpiercing，fixeduponthehunter。

"Don\'tgrab，"saidDale，holdingoutapieceofturkey。

WhereuponTomtookitlessvoraciously。

Asithappened，thelittlebearcubsawthistransaction，andheplainlyindicatedhisopinionofthepreferenceshowntoTom。

"Oh，thedear！"exclaimedBo。"Hemeansit\'snotfair……

Come，Bud——comeon。"

ButBudwouldnotapproachthegroupuntilcalledbyDale。

Thenhescrambledtothemwitheverymanifestationofdelight。Boalmostforgotherownneedsinfeedinghimandgettingacquaintedwithhim。TomplainlyshowedhisjealousyofBud，andBudlikewiseshowedhisfearofthegreatcat。

Helencouldnotbelievetheevidenceofhereyes——thatshewasinthewoodscalmlyandhungrilypartakingofsweet，wild-flavoredmeat——thatafull-grownmountainlionlayononesideofherandababybrownbearsatontheother——

thatastrangehunter，amanoftheforest，thereinhislonelyandisolatedfastness，appealedtotheromanceinherandinterestedherasnooneelseshehadevermet。

WhenthewonderfulmealwasatlastfinishedBoenticedthebearcubaroundtothecampofthegirls，andtheresoonbecamegreatcomradeswithhim。Helen，watchingBoplay，wasinclinedtoenvyher。NomatterwhereBowasplaced，shealwaysgotsomethingoutofit。Sheadaptedherself。She，whocouldhaveagoodtimewithalmostanyoneoranything，wouldfindthehourssweetandfleetinginthisbeautifulparkofwildwonders。

Butmerelyobjectiveactions——merelyphysicalmovements，hadneveryetcontentedHelen。Shecouldrunandclimbandrideandplaywithheartyandhealthyabandon，butthosethingswouldnotsufficelongforher，andhermindneededfood。Helenwasathinker。OnereasonshehaddesiredtomakeherhomeintheWestwasthatbytakingupalifeoftheopen，ofaction，shemightthinkanddreamandbroodless。AndhereshewasinthewildWest，afterthethreemoststrenuouslyactivedaysofhercareer，andstillthesameoldgiantrevolvedhermindandturnedituponherselfanduponallshesaw。

"WhatcanIdo？"sheaskedBo，almosthelplessly。

"Why，rest，yousilly！"retortedBo。"Youwalklikeanold，crippledwomanwithonlyoneleg。"

Helenhopedthecomparisonwasundeserved，buttheadvicewassound。Theblanketsspreadoutonthegrasslookedinvitingandtheyfeltcomfortablywarminthesunshine。Thebreezewasslow，languorous，fragrant，anditbroughtthelowhumofthemurmuringwaterfall，likeamelodyofbees。

Helenmadeapillowandlaydowntorest。Thegreenpine-needles，sothinandfineintheircrisscrossnetwork，showedclearlyagainstthebluesky。Shelookedinvainforbirds。Thenhergazewent。wonderinglytotheloftyfringedrimofthegreatamphitheater，andasshestudieditshebegantograspitsremoteness，howfarawayitwasintherarefiedatmosphere。Ablackeagle，sweepingalong，lookedoftinysize，andyethewasfarundertheheightsabove。

Howpleasantshefanciedittobeupthere！Anddrowsyfancylulledhertosleep。

Helensleptallafternoon，anduponawakening，towardsunset，foundBocurledbesideher。Dalehadthoughtfullycoveredthemwithablanket；alsohehadbuiltacamp-fire。

Theairwasgrowingkeenandcold。

Later，whentheyhadputtheircoatsonandmadecomfortableseatsbesidethefire，Dalecameover，apparentlytovisitthem。

"Ireckonyoucan\'tsleepallthetime，"hesaid。"An\'bein\'

citygirls，you\'llgetlonesome。"

"Lonesome！"echoedHelen。Theideaofherbeinglonesomeherehadnotoccurredtoher。

"I\'vethoughtthatallout，"wentonDale，ashesatdown，Indianfashion，beforetheblaze。"It\'snaturalyou\'dfindtimedraguphere，bein\'usedtolotsofpeoplean\'

goin\'s-on，an\'work，an\'allgirlslike。"

"I\'dneverbelonesomehere，"repliedHelen，withherdirectforce。

Daledidnotbetraysurprise，butheshowedthathismistakewassomethingtoponderover。

"Excuseme，"hesaid，presently，ashisgrayeyesheldhers。

"That\'showIhadit。AsIremembergirls——an\'itdoesn\'tseemlongsinceIlefthome——mostofthemwoulddieoflonesomenessuphere。"ThenheaddressedhimselftoBo。"Howaboutyou？Yousee，Ifiguredyou\'dbetheonethatlikedit，an\'yoursistertheonewhowouldn\'t。"

"Iwon\'tgetlonesomeverysoon，"repliedBo。

"I\'mglad。Itworriedmesome——noteverhavin\'girlsascompanybefore。An\'inadayorso，whenyou\'rerested，I\'llhelpyoupassthetime。"

Bo\'seyeswerefullofflashinginterest，andHelenaskedhim，"How？"

Itwasasincereexpressionofhercuriosityandnotdoubtfulorironicchallengeofaneducatedwomantoamanoftheforest。Butasachallengehetookit。

"How！"herepeated，andastrangesmileflittedacrosshisface。"Why，bygivin\'youridesan\'climbstobeautifulplaces。An\'then，ifyou\'reinterested，\'toshowyouhowlittleso-calledcivilizedpeopleknowofnature。"

Helenrealizedthenthatwhateverhiscalling，hunterorwandererorhermit，hewasnotuneducated，evenifheappearedilliterate。

"I\'llbehappytolearnfromyou，"shesaid。

"Me，too！"chimedinBo。"Youcan\'ttelltoomuchtoanyonefromMissouri。"

Hesmiled，andthatwarmedHelentohim，forthenheseemedlessremovedfromotherpeople。Aboutthishuntertherebegantobesomethingoftheverynatureofwhichhespoke——astillness，aloofness，anunbreakabletranquillity，acold，clearspiritlikethatinthemountainair，aphysicalsomethingnotunlikethetamedwildnessofhispetsorthestrengthofthepines。

"I\'llbetIcantellyoumore\'nyou\'lleverremember，"hesaid。

"What\'llyoubet？"retortedBo。

"Well，moreroastturkeyagainst——saysomethin\'nicewhenyou\'resafean\'hometoyouruncleAl\'s，runnin\'hisranch。"

"Agreed。Nell，youhear？"

Helennoddedherhead。

"Allright。We\'llleaveittoNell，"beganDale，halfseriously。"NowI\'lltellyou，first，forthefunofpassin\'

timewe\'llridean\'racemyhorsesoutinthepark。An\'

we\'llfishinthebrooksan\'huntinthewoods。There\'sanoldsilvertiparoundthatyoucanseemekill。An\'we\'llclimbtothepeaksan\'seewonderfulsights……Somuchforthat。Now，ifyoureallywanttolearn——orifyouonlywantmetotellyou——well，that\'snomatter。OnlyI\'llwinthebet！……You\'llseehowthisparkliesinthecraterofavolcanoan\'wasoncefullofwater——an\'howthesnowblowsinononesideinwinter，ahundredfeetdeep，whenthere\'snoneontheother。An\'thetrees——howtheygrowan\'livean\'fightoneanotheran\'dependononeanother，an\'protecttheforestfromstorm-winds。An\'howtheyholdthewaterthatisthefountainsofthegreatrivers。An\'howthecreaturesan\'thingsthatliveinthemoronthemaregoodforthem，an\'neithercouldlivewithouttheother。An\'

thenI\'llshowyoumypetstamean\'untamed，an\'tellyouhowit\'smanthatmakesanycreaturewild——howeasytheyaretotame——an\'howtheylearntoloveyou。An\'there\'sthelifeoftheforest，thestrifeofit——howthebearlives，an\'thecats，an\'thewolves，an\'thedeer。You\'llseehowcruelnatureishowsavagean\'wildthewolforcougartearsdownthedeer——howawolflovesfresh，hotblood，an\'howacougarunrollstheskinofadeerbackfromhisneck。An\'you\'llseethatthiscrueltyofnature——thisworkofthewolfan\'cougar——iswhatmakesthedeersobeautifulan\'healthyan\'swiftan\'sensitive。Withouthisdeadlyfoesthedeerwoulddeterioratean\'dieout。An\'

you\'llseehowthisprincipleworksoutamongallcreaturesoftheforest。Strife！It\'sthemeanin\'ofallcreation，an\'

thesalvation。Ifyou\'requicktosee，you\'lllearnthatthenaturehereinthewildsisthesameasthatofmen——onlymenarenolongercannibals。Treesfighttolive——birdsfight——animalsfight——menfight。Theyallliveoffoneanother。An\'it\'sthisfightin\'thatbringsthemallcloseran\'closertobein\'perfect。Butnothin\'willeverbeperfect。"

"Buthowaboutreligion？"interruptedHelen，earnestly。

"Naturehasareligion，an\'it\'stolive——togrow——toreproduce，eachofitskind。"

"ButthatisnotGodortheimmortalityofthesoul，"

declaredHelen。

"Well，it\'sasclosetoGodan\'immortalityasnatureevergets。"

"Oh，youwouldrobmeofmyreligion！"

"No，IjusttalkasIseelife，"repliedDale，reflectively，ashepokedastickintotheredembersofthefire。"MaybeIhaveareligion。Idon\'tknow。Butit\'snotthekindyouhave——nottheBiblekind。Thatkinddoesn\'tkeepthemeninPinean\'Snowdropan\'allover——sheepmenan\'ranchersan\'farmersan\'travelers，suchasI\'veknown——thereligiontheyprofessdoesn\'tkeepthemfromlyin\'，cheatin\'，stealin\'，an\'killin\'。IreckonnomanwholivesasIdo——whichperhapsismyreligion——willlieorcheatorstealorkill，unlessit\'stokillinself-defenseorlikeI\'ddoifSnakeAnsonwouldrideupherenow。Myreligion，maybe，isloveoflife——wildlifeasitwasinthebeginnin\'——an\'thewindthatblowssecretsfromeverywhere，an\'thewaterthatsingsalldayan\'night，an\'

thestarsthatshineconstant，an\'thetreesthatspeaksomehow，an\'therocksthataren\'tdead。I\'mneveralonehereoronthetrails。There\'ssomethin\'unseen，butalwayswithme。An\'that\'sIt！CallitGodifyoulike。Butwhatstallsmeis——wherewasthatSpiritwhenthisearthwasaballoffierygas？WherewillthatSpiritbewhenalllifeisfrozenoutorburnedoutonthisglobean\'ithangsdeadinspacelikethemoon？Thattimewillcome。There\'snowasteinnature。Notthelittlestatomisdestroyed。Itchanges，that\'sall，asyouseethispinewoodgoupinsmokean\'feelsomethin\'that\'sheatcomeoutofit。Wheredoesthatgo？It\'snotlost。Nothin\'islost。So，thebeautifulan\'savin\'thoughtis，maybeallrockan\'wood，wateran\'bloodan\'flesh，areresolvedbackintotheelements，tocometolifesomewhereagainsometime。"

"Oh，whatyousayiswonderful，butit\'sterrible！"

exclaimedHelen。Hehadstruckdeepintohersoul。

"Terrible？Ireckon，"hereplied，sadly。

Thenensuedalittleintervalofsilence。

"MiltDale，Ilosethebet，"declaredBo，withearnestnessbehindherfrivolity。

"I\'dforgottenthat。ReckonItalkedalot，"hesaid，apologetically。"Yousee，Idon\'tgetmuchchancetotalk，excepttomyselforTom。Yearsago，whenIfoundthehabitofsilencesettlin\'downonme，Itooktothinkin\'outloudan\'talkin\'toanythin\'。"

"Icouldlistentoyouallnight，"returnedBo，dreamily。

"Doyouread——doyouhavebooks？"inquiredHelen，suddenly。

"Yes，Ireadtolerablewell；agooddealbetterthanItalkorwrite，"hereplied。"IwenttoschooltillIwasfifteen。

Alwayshatedstudy，butlikedtoread。YearsagoanoldfriendofminedownhereatPine——WidowCass——shegavemealotofoldbooks。An\'Ipackedthemuphere。Winter\'sthetimeIread。"

Conversationlaggedafterthat，exceptfordesultoryremarks，andpresentlyDalebadethegirlsgoodnightandleftthem。Helenwatchedhistallformvanishinthegloomunderthepines，andafterhehaddisappearedshestillstared。

"Nell！"calledBo，shrilly。"I\'vecalledyouthreetimes。I

wanttogotobed。"

"Oh！I——Iwasthinking，"rejoinedHelen，halfembarrassed，halfwonderingatherself。"Ididn\'thearyou。"

"Ishouldsmileyoudidn\'t，"retortedBo。"Wishyoucouldjusthaveseenyoureyes。Nell，doyouwantmetotellyousomething？

"Why——yes，"saidHelen，ratherfeebly。Shedidnotatall，whenBotalkedlikethat。

"You\'regoingtofallinlovewiththatwildhunter，"

declaredBoinavoicethatranglikeabell。

Helenwasnotonlyamazed，butenraged。Shecaughtherbreathpreparatorytogivingthisincorrigiblesisterapieceofhermind。Bowentcalmlyon。

"Icanfeelitinmybones。"

"Bo，you\'realittlefool——asentimental，romancing，gushylittlefool！"retortedHelen。"Allyouseemtoholdinyourheadissomerotaboutlove。Tohearyoutalkonewouldthinkthere\'snothingelseintheworldbutlove。"

Bo\'seyeswerebright，shrewd，affectionate，andlaughingasshebenttheirsteadygazeuponHelen。

"Nell，that\'sjustit。ThereISnothingelse！"

CHAPTERX

ThenightofsleepwassoshortthatitwasdifficultforHelentobelievethathourshadpassed。Boappearedlivelierthismorning，withlesscomplaintofaches。

"Nell，you\'vegotcolor！"exclaimedBo。"Andyoureyesarebright。Isn\'tthemorningperfectlylovely？……Couldn\'tyougetdrunkonthatair？Ismellflowers。Andoh！I\'mhungry！"

"Bo，ourhostwillsoonhaveneedofhishuntingabilitiesifyourappetiteholds，"saidHelen，asshetriedtokeepherhairoutofhereyeswhileshelacedherboots。

"Look！there\'sabigdog——ahound。"

HelenlookedasBodirected，andsawahoundofunusuallylargeproportions，blackandtanincolor，withlong，droopingears。Curiouslyhetrottednearertothedooroftheirhutandthenstoppedtogazeatthem。Hisheadwasnoble，hiseyesshonedarkandsad。Heseemedneitherfriendlynorunfriendly。

"Hello，doggie！Comerightin——wewon\'thurtyou，"calledBo，butwithoutenthusiasm。

ThismadeHelenlaugh。"Bo，you\'resimplydelicious，"shesaid。"You\'reafraidofthatdog。"

"Sure。Wonderifhe\'sDale\'s。Ofcoursehemustbe。"

Presentlythehoundtrottedawayoutofsight。Whenthegirlspresentedthemselvesatthecamp-firetheyespiedtheircuriouscaninevisitorlyingdown。Hisearsweresolongthathalfofthemlayontheground。

"IsentPedroovertowakeyougirlsup，"saidDale，aftergreetingthem。"Didhescareyou？"

"Pedro。Sothat\'shisname。No，hedidn\'texactlyscareme。

HedidNell，though。She\'sanawfultenderfoot，"repliedBo。

"He\'sasplendid-lookingdog，"saidHelen，ignoringhersister\'ssally。"Ilovedogs。Willhemakefriends？"

"He\'sshyan\'wild。Yousee，whenIleavecamphewon\'thangaround。Hean\'Tomarejealousofeachother。Ihadapackofhoundsan\'lostallbutPedroonaccountofTom。IthinkyoucanmakefriendswithPedro。Tryit。"

WhereuponHelenmadeoverturestoPedro，andnotwhollyinvain。Thedogwasmatured，ofalmoststernaloofness，andmanifestlynotusedtopeople。Hisdeep，wine-darkeyesseemedtosearchHelen\'ssoul。Theywerehonestandwise，withastrangesadness。

"Helooksintelligent，"observedHelen，asshesmoothedthelong，darkears。

"Thathoundisnighhuman，"respondedDale。"Come，an\'whileyoueatI\'lltellyouaboutPedro。"

DalehadgottenthehoundasapupfromaMexicansheep-herderwhoclaimedhewaspartCaliforniabloodhound。

Hegrewup，becomingattachedtoDale。InhisyoungerdayshedidnotgetalongwellwithDale\'sotherpetsandDalegavehimtoarancherdowninthevalley。PedrowasbackinDale\'scampnextday。FromthatdayDalebegantocaremoreforthehound，buthedidnotwanttokeephim，forvariousreasons，chiefofwhichwasthefactthatPedrowastoofineadogtobeleftalonehalfthetimetoshiftforhimself。

ThatfallDalehadneedtogotothefarthestvillage，Snowdrop，whereheleftPedrowithafriend。ThenDalerodetoShowDownandPine，andthecampoftheBeemans\'andwiththemhetrailedsomewildhorsesforahundredmiles，overintoNewMexico。ThesnowwasflyingwhenDalegotbacktohiscampinthemountains。AndtherewasPedro，gauntandworn，overjoyedtowelcomehimhome。RoyBeemanvisitedDalethatOctoberandtoldthatDale\'sfriendinSnowdrophadnotbeenabletokeepPedro。Hebrokeachainandscaledaten-footfencetoescape。HetrailedDaletoShowDown，whereoneofDale\'sfriends，recognizingthehound，caughthim，andmeanttokeephimuntilDale\'sreturn。ButPedrorefusedtoeat。IthappenedthatafreighterwasgoingouttotheBeemancamp，andDale\'sfriendboxedPedroupandputhimonthewagon。Pedrobrokeoutofthebox，returnedtoShowDown，tookupDale\'strailtoPine，andthenontotheBeemancamp。ThatwasasfarasRoycouldtracethemovementsofthehound。Buthebelieved，andsodidDale，thatPedrohadtrailedthemoutonthewild-horsehunt。ThefollowingspringDalelearnedmorefromtheherderofasheepmanatwhosecampheandtheBeemans；hadrestedonthewayintoNewMexico。ItappearedthatafterDalehadleftthiscampPedrohadarrived，andanotherMexicanherderhadstolenthehound。ButPedrogotaway。

"An\'hewasherewhenIarrived，"concludedDale，smiling。

"Ineverwantedtogetridofhimafterthat。He\'sturnedouttobethefinestdogIeverknew。HeknowswhatIsay。

Hecanalmosttalk。An\'Iswearhecancry。HedoeswheneverIstartoffwithouthim。"

"Howperfectlywonderful！"exclaimedBo。"Aren\'tanimalsgreat？……ButIlovehorsesbest。"

ItseemedtoHelenthatPedrounderstoodtheyweretalkingabouthim，forhelookedashamed，andswallowedhard，anddroppedhisgaze。Sheknewsomethingofthetruthabouttheloveofdogsfortheirowners。ThisstoryofDale\'s，however，wasstrangerthananyshehadeverheard。

Tom，thecougar，putinanappearancethen，andtherewasscarcelyloveinthetawnyeyeshebentuponPedro。Butthehounddidnotdeigntonoticehim。TomsidleduptoBo，whosatonthefarthersideofthetarpaulintable-cloth，andmanifestlywantedpartofherbreakfast。

"Gee！Ilovethelookofhim，"shesaid。"Butwhenhe\'sclosehemakesmyfleshcreep。"

"Beastsareasqueeraspeople，"observedDale。"Theytakelikesan\'dislikes。IbelieveTomhastakenashinetoyouan\'Pedrobeginstobeinterestedinyoursister。Icantell。"

"Where\'sBud？"inquiredBo。

"He\'sasleeporaroundsomewhere。Now，soonasIgettheworkdone，whatwouldyougirlsliketodo？"

"Ride！"declaredBo，eagerly。

"Aren\'tyousorean\'stiff？"

"Iamthat。ButIdon\'tcare。Besides，whenIusedtogoouttomyuncle\'sfarmnearSaintJoeIalwaysfoundridingtobeacureforaches。"

"Sureis，ifyoucanstandit。An\'whatwillyoursisterliketodo？"returnedDale，turningtoHelen。

"Oh，I\'llrest，andwatchyoufolks——anddream，"repliedHelen。

"Butafteryou\'verestedyoumustbeactive，"saidDale，seriously。"Youmustdothings。Itdoesn\'tmatterwhat，justaslongasyoudon\'tsitidle。"

"Why？"queriedHelen，insurprise。"Whynotbeidlehereinthisbeautiful，wildplace？justtodreamawaythehours——

thedays！Icoulddoit。"

"Butyoumustn\'t。Ittookmeyearstolearnhowbadthatwasforme。An\'rightnowIwouldlovenothin\'morethantoforgetmywork，myhorsesan\'pets——everythin\'，an\'justlayaround，seein\'an\'feelin\'。"

"Seeingandfeeling？Yes，thatmustbewhatImean。Butwhy——whatisit？Therearethebeautyandcolor——thewild，shaggyslopes——thegraycliffs——thesingingwind——thelullingwater——theclouds——thesky。Andthesilence，loneliness，sweetnessofitall。"

"It\'sadriftin\'back。WhatIlovetodoan\'yetfearmost。

It\'swhatmakesalonehunterofaman。An\'itcangrowsostrongthatitbindsamantothewilds。"

"Howstrange！"murmuredHelen。"ButthatcouldneverbindME。Why，Imustliveandfulfilmymission，myworkinthecivilizedworld。"

ItseemedtoHelenthatDalealmostimperceptiblyshrankatherearnestwords。

"ThewaysofNaturearestrange，"hesaid。"Ilookatitdifferent。Nature\'sjustaskeentoweanyoubacktoasavagestateasyouaretobecivilized。An\'ifNaturewon，youwouldcarryoutherdesignallthebetter。"

Thishunter\'stalkshockedHelenandyetstimulatedhermind。

"Me——asavage？Ohno！"sheexclaimed。"But，ifthatwerepossible，whatwouldNature\'sdesignbe？"

"Youspokeofyourmissioninlife，"hereplied。"Awoman\'smissionistohavechildren。Thefemaleofanyspecieshasonlyonemission——toreproduceitskind。An\'Naturehasonlyonemission——towardgreaterstrength，virility，efficiency——absoluteperfection，whichisunattainable。"

"Whatofmentalandspiritualdevelopmentofmanandwoman？"

askedHelen。

"BotharedirectobstaclestothedesignofNature。Natureisphysical。Tocreateforlimitlessenduranceforeternallife。ThatmustbeNature\'sinscrutabledesign。An\'whyshemustfail。"

"Butthesoul！"whisperedHelen。

"Ah！Whenyouspeakofthesoulan\'Ispeakoflifewemeanthesame。Youan\'Iwillhavesometalkswhileyou\'rehere。

Imustbrushupmythoughts。"

"SomustI，itseems，"saidHelen，withaslowsmile。Shehadbeenrenderedgraveandthoughtful。"ButIguessI\'llriskdreamingunderthepines。"

Bohadbeenwatchingthemwithherkeenblueeyes。

"Nell，it\'dtakeathousandyearstomakeasavageofyou，"

shesaid。"Butaweekwilldoforme。"

"Bo，youwereonebeforeyouleftSaintJoe，"repliedHelen。

"Don\'tyourememberthatschool-teacherBarneswhosaidyouwereawildcatandanIndianmixed？Hespankedyouwitharuler。"

"Never！Hemissedme，"retortedBo，withredinhercheeks。

"Nell，Iwishyou\'dnottellthingsaboutmewhenIwasakid。"

"Thatwasonlytwoyearsago，"expostulatedHelen，inmildsurprise。

"Supposeitwas。Iwasakidallright。I\'llbetyou-"Bobrokeupabruptly，and，tossingherhead，shegaveTomapatandthenranawayaroundthecornerofcliffwall。

Helenfollowedleisurely。

"Say，Nell，"saidBo，whenHelenarrivedattheirlittlegreenledge-polehut，"doyouknowthathunterfellowwillupsetsomeofyourtheories？"

"Maybe。I\'lladmitheamazesme——andaffrontsme，too，I\'mafraid，"repliedHelen。"Whatsurprisesmeisthatinspiteofhisevidentlackofschoolinghe\'snotraworcrude。He\'selemental。"

"Sisterdear，wakeup。Theman\'swonderful。Youcanlearnmorefromhimthanyoueverlearnedinyourlife。SocanI。

Ialwayshatedbooks，anyway。"

When，alittlelater，Daleapproachedcarryingsomebridles，thehoundPedrotrottedathisheels。

"Ireckonyou\'dbetterridethehorseyouhad，"hesaidtoBo。

"Whateveryousay。ButIhopeyouletmeridethemall，byandby。"

"Sure。I\'veamustangoutthereyou\'lllike。Buthepitchesalittle，"herejoined，andturnedawaytowardthepark。ThehoundlookedafterhimandthenatHelen。

"Come，Pedro。Staywithme，"calledHelen。

Dale，hearingher，motionedthehoundback。ObedientlyPedrotrottedtoher，stillshyandsoberlywatchful，asifnotsureofherintentions，butwithsomethingoffriendlinessabouthimnow。Helenfoundasoft，restfulseatinthesunfacingthepark，andtherecomposedherselfforwhatshefeltwouldbeslow，sweet，idlehours。Pedrocurleddownbesideher。ThetallformofDalestalkedacrossthepark，outtowardthestragglinghorses。Againshesawadeergrazingamongthem。HowerectandmotionlessitstoodwatchingDale！Presentlyitboundedawaytowardtheedgeoftheforest。Someofthehorseswhistledandran，kickingheelshighintheair。Theshrillwhistlesrangclearinthestillness。

"Gee！Lookatthemgo！"exclaimedBo，gleefully，cominguptowhereHelensat。Bothrewherselfdownuponthefragrantpine-needlesandstretchedherselflanguorously，likealazykitten。Therewassomethingfelineinherlithe，gracefuloutline。Shelayflatandlookedupthroughthepines。

"Wouldn\'titbegreat，now，"shemurmured，dreamily，halftoherself，"ifthatLasVegascowboywouldhappensomehowtocome，andthenanearthquakewouldshutusuphereinthisParadisevalleysowe\'dnevergetout？"

"Bo！Whatwouldmothersaytosuchtalkasthat？"gaspedHelen。

"But，Nell，wouldn\'titbegreat？"

"Itwouldbeterrible。"

"Oh，thereneverwasanyromanceinyou，NellRayner，"

repliedBo。"Thatverythinghasactuallyhappenedouthereinthiswonderfulcountryofwildplaces。Youneednottellme！Sureit\'shappened。Withthecliff-dwellersandtheIndiansandthenwhitepeople。EveryplaceIlookmakesmefeelthat。Nell，you\'dhavetoseepeopleinthemoonthroughatelescopebeforeyou\'dbelievethat。"

"I\'mpracticalandsensible，thankgoodness！"

"But，forthesakeofargument，"protestedBo，withflashingeyes，"supposeitMIGHThappen。Justtopleaseme，supposeweDIDgetshutupherewithDaleandthatcowboywesawfromthetrain。Shutinwithoutanyhopeofeverclimbingout……Whatwouldyoudo？Wouldyougiveupandpineawayanddie？Orwouldyoufightforlifeandwhateverjoyitmightmean？"

"Self-preservationisthefirstinstinct，"repliedHelen，surprisedatastrange，deepthrillinthedepthsofher。

"I\'dfightforlife，ofcourse。"

"Yes。Well，really，whenIthinkseriouslyIdon\'twantanythinglikethattohappen。But，justthesame，ifitDID

happenIwouldgloryinit。"

WhiletheyweretalkingDalereturnedwiththehorses。

"Canyoubridlean\'saddleyourownhorse？"heasked。

"No。I\'mashamedtosayIcan\'t，"repliedBo。

"Timetolearnthen。Comeon。WatchmefirstwhenIsaddlemine。"

BowasalleyeswhileDaleslippedoffthebridlefromhishorseandthenwithslow，plainactionreadjustedit。Nexthesmoothedthebackofthehorse，shookouttheblanket，and，foldingithalfover，hethrewitinplace，beingcarefultoexplaintoBojusttherightposition。Heliftedhissaddleinacertainwayandputthatinplace，andthenhetightenedthecinches。

"Nowyoutry，"hesaid。

AccordingtoHelen\'sjudgmentBomighthavebeenaWesterngirlallherdays。ButDaleshookhisheadandmadeherdoitover。

"Thatwasbetter。Ofcourse，thesaddleistooheavyforyoutoslingitup。Youcanlearnthatwithalightone。Nowputthebridleonagain。Don\'tbeafraidofyourhands。Hewon\'tbite。Slipthebitinsideways……There。Nowlet\'sseeyoumount。"

WhenBogotintothesaddleDalecontinued："Youwentupquickan\'light，butthewrongway。Watchme。"

BohadtomountseveraltimesbeforeDalewassatisfied。

Thenhetoldhertorideoffalittledistance。WhenBohadgottenoutofearshotDalesaidtoHelen："She\'lltaketoahorselikeaducktakestowater。"Then，mounting，herodeoutafterher。

Helenwatchedthemtrottingandgallopingandrunningthehorsesroundthegrassypark，andratherregrettedshehadnotgonewiththem。EventuallyBorodeback，todismountandflingherselfdown，red-cheekedandradiant，withdisheveledhair，andcurlsdamponhertemples。Howalivesheseemed！

Helen\'ssensesthrilledwiththegraceandcharmandvitalityofthissurprisingsister，andshewasawareofasheerphysicaljoyinherpresence。Borested，butshedidnotrestlong。ShewassoonofftoplaywithBud。Thenshecoaxedthetamedoetoeatoutofherhand。ShedraggedHelenoffforwildflowers，curiousandthoughtlessbyturns。Andatlengthshefellasleep，quickly，inawaythatremindedHelenofthechildhoodnowgoneforever。

Dalecalledthemtodinneraboutfouro\'clock，asthesunwasreddeningthewesternrampartofthepark。Helenwonderedwherethedayhadgone。Thehourshadflownswiftly，serenely，bringingherscarcelyathoughtofheruncleordreadofherforceddetentionthereorpossiblediscoverybythoseoutlawssupposedtobehuntingforher。

AftersherealizedthepassingofthosehoursshehadanintangibleandindescribablefeelingofwhatDalehadmeantaboutdreamingthehoursaway。ThenatureofParadiseParkwasinimicaltothekindofthoughtthathadhabituallybeenhers，Shefoundthenewthoughtabsorbing，yetwhenshetriedtonameitshefoundthat，afterall，shehadonlyfelt。Atthemealhourshewasmorethanusuallyquiet。ShesawthatDalenoticeditandwastryingtointerestherordistractherattention。Hesucceeded，butshedidnotchoosetolethimseethat。Shestrolledawayalonetoherseatunderthepine。Bopassedheronce，andcried，tantalizingly：

"My，Nell，butyou\'regrowingromantic！"

NeverbeforeinHelen\'slifehadthebeautyoftheeveningstarseemedsoexquisiteorthetwilightsomovingandshadowyorthedarknesssochargedwithloneliness。Itwastheirenvironment——theaccompanimentofwildwolf-mourn，ofthemurmuringwaterfall，ofthisstrangemanoftheforestandtheunfamiliarelementsamongwhichhemadehishome。

Nextmorning，herenergyhavingreturned，HelensharedBo\'slessoninbridlingandsaddlingherhorse，andinriding。

Bo，however，rodesofastandsohardthatforHelentosharehercompanywasimpossible。AndDale，interestedandamused，yetanxious，spentmostofhistimewithBo。ItwasthusthatHelenrodeallovertheparkalone。Shewasastonishedatitssize，whenfromalmostanypointitlookedsosmall。Theatmospheredeceivedher。Howclearlyshecouldsee！Andshebegantojudgedistancebythesizeoffamiliarthings。Ahorse，lookedatacrossthelongestlengthofthepark，seemedverysmallindeed。Hereandtheresherodeupondark，swift，littlebrooks，exquisitelyclearandamber-coloredandalmosthiddenfromsightbythelonggrass。Theseallranoneway，andunitedtoformadeeperbrookthatapparentlywoundunderthecliffsatthewestend，andplungedtoanoutletinnarrowclefts。WhenDaleandBocametoheronceshemadeinquiry，andshewassurprisedtolearnfromDalethatthisbrookdisappearedinaholeintherocksandhadanoutletontheothersideofthemountain。Sometimehewouldtakethemtothelakeitformed。

"Overthemountain？"askedHelen，againrememberingthatshemustregardherselfasafugitive。"Willitbesafetoleaveourhiding-place？Iforgetsooftenwhywearehere。"

"Wewouldbebetterhiddenovertherethanhere，"repliedDale。"Thevalleyonthatsideisaccessibleonlyfromthatridge。An\'don\'tworryaboutbein\'found。ItoldyouRoyBeemaniswatchin\'Ansonan\'hisgang。Roywillkeepbetweentheman\'us。"

Helenwasreassured，yettheremustalwayslingerinthebackgroundofhermindasenseofdread。Inspiteofthis，shedeterminedtomakethemostofheropportunity。Bowasastimulus。AndsoHelenspenttherestofthatdayridingandtaggingafterhersister。

ThenextdaywaslesshardonHelen。Activity，rest，eating，andsleepingtookonawonderfulnewmeaningtoher。Shehadreallyneverknownthemasstrangejoys。Sherode，shewalked，sheclimbedalittle，shedozedunderherpine-tree，sheworkedhelpingDaleatcamp-firetasks，andwhennightcameshesaidshedidnotknowherself。Thatfacthauntedherinvague，deepdreams。Uponawakeningsheforgotherresolvetostudyherself。Thatdaypassed。Andthenseveralmorewentswiftlybeforesheadaptedherselftoasituationshehadreasontobelievemightlastforweeksandevenmonths。

ItwasafternoonthatHelenlovedbestofallthetimeoftheday。Thesunrisewasfresh，beautiful；themorningwaswindy，fragrant；thesunsetwasrosy，glorious；thetwilightwassad，changing；andnightseemedinfinitelysweetwithitsstarsandsilenceandsleep。Buttheafternoon，whennothingchanged，whenallwasserene，whentimeseemedtohalt，thatwasherchoice，andhersolace。

Oneafternoonshehadcampalltoherself。Bowasriding。

Dalehadclimbedthemountaintoseeifhecouldfindanytraceoftracksorseeanysmokefromcamp-fire。Budwasnowheretobeseen，noranyoftheotherpets。Tomhadgoneofftosomesunnyledgewherehecouldbaskinthesun，afterthehabitofthewilderbrothersofhisspecies。Pedrohadnotbeenseenforanightandaday，afactthatHelenhadnotedwithconcern。However，shehadforgottenhim，andthereforewasthemoresurprisedtoseehimcominglimpingintocamponthreelegs。

"Why，Pedro！Youhavebeenfighting。Comehere，"shecalled。

Thehounddidnotlookguilty。Helimpedtoherandhelduphisrightforepaw。Theactionwasunmistakable。Helenexaminedtheinjuredmemberandpresentlyfoundapieceofwhatlookedlikemussel-shellembeddeddeeplybetweenthetoes。Thewoundwasswollen，bloody，andevidentlyverypainful。Pedrowhined。Helenhadtoexertallthestrengthofherfingerstopullitout。ThenPedrohowled。Butimmediatelyheshowedhisgratitudebylickingherhand。

Helenbathedhispawandbounditup。

WhenDalereturnedsherelatedtheincidentand，showingthepieceofshell，sheasked："Wheredidthatcomefrom？Arethereshellsinthemountains？"

"Oncethiscountrywasunderthesea，"repliedDale。"I\'vefoundthingsthat\'dmakeyouwonder。"

"Underthesea！"ejaculatedHelen。Itwasonethingtohavereadofsuchastrangefact，butavastlydifferentonetorealizeithereamongtheseloftypeaks。Dalewasalwaysshowinghersomethingortellinghersomethingthatastoundedher。

"Lookhere，"hesaidoneday。"Whatdoyoumakeofthatlittlebunchofaspens？"

Theywereonthefarthersideoftheparkandwererestingunderapine-tree。Theforesthereencroachedupontheparkwithitsstragglinglinesofspruceandgrovesofaspen。ThelittleclumpofaspensdidnotdifferfromhundredsHelenhadseen。

"Idon\'tmakeanythingparticularlyofit，"repliedHelen，dubiously。"Justatinygroveofaspens——someverysmall，somelarger，butnoneverybig。Butit\'sprettywithitsgreenandyellowleavesflutteringandquivering。"

"Itdoesn\'tmakeyouthinkofafight？"

"Fight？No，itcertainlydoesnot，"repliedHelen。

"Well，it\'sasgoodanexampleoffight，ofstrife，ofselfishness，asyouwillfindintheforest，"hesaid。"Nowcomeover，youan\'Bo，an\'letmeshowyouwhatImean。"

"Comeon，Nell，"criedBo，withenthusiasm。"He\'llopenoureyessomemore。"

Nothingloath，Helenwentwiththemtothelittleclumpofaspens。

"Aboutahundredaltogether，"saidDale。"They\'reprettywellshadedbythespruces，buttheygetthesunlightfromeastan\'south。Theselittletreesallcamefromthesameseedlings。They\'reallthesameage。Fourofthemstand，say，tenfeetormorehighan\'they\'reaslargearoundasmywrist。Here\'sonethat\'slargest。Seehowfull-foliagedheis——howhestandsovermostoftheothers，butnotsomuchoverthesefournexttohim。Theyallstandclosetogether，veryclose，yousee。Mostofthemarenolargerthanmythumb。Lookhowfewbranchestheyhave，an\'nonelowdown。

Lookathowfewleaves。Doyouseehowallthebranchesstandouttowardtheeastan\'south——howtheleaves，ofcourse，facethesameway？Seehowonebranchofonetreebendsasideonefromanothertree。That\'safightforthesunlight。Hereareone——two——threedeadtrees。Look，I

cansnapthemoff。An\'nowlookdownunderthem。Herearelittletreesfivefeethigh——fourfeethigh——downtotheseonlyafoothigh。Lookhowpale，delicate，fragile，unhealthy！Theygetsolittlesunshine。Theywerebornwiththeothertrees，butdidnotgetanequalstart。Positiongivestheadvantage，perhaps。"

Daleledthegirlsaroundthelittlegrove，illustratinghiswordsbyaction。Heseemeddeeplyinearnest。

"Youunderstandit\'safightforwateran\'sun。Butmostlysun，because，iftheleavescanabsorbthesun，thetreean\'

rootswillgrowtograsptheneededmoisture。Shadeisdeath——slowdeathtothelifeoftrees。Theselittleaspensarefightin\'forplaceinthesunlight。Itisamercilessbattle。Theypushan\'bendoneanother\'sbranchesasidean\'

chokethem。Onlyperhapshalfoftheseaspenswillsurvive，tomakeoneofthelargerclumps，suchasthatoneoffull-growntreesoverthere。Oneseasonwillgiveadvantagetothissaplin\'an\'nextyeartothatone。Afewseasons\'

advantagetooneassuresitsdominanceovertheothers。Butitisneversureofholdin\'thatdominance。An\'ifwindorstormorastrong-growin\'rivaldoesnotoverthrowit，thensoonerorlateroldagewill。Forthereisabsoluteandcontinualfight。Whatistrueoftheseaspensistrueofallthetreesintheforestan\'ofallplantlifeintheforest。

Whatismostwonderfultomeisthetenacityoflife。"

AndnextdayDaleshowedthemanevenmorestrikingexampleofthismysteryofnature。

Heguidedthemonhorsebackuponeofthethick，verdant-woodedslopes，callingtheirattentionatvarioustimestothedifferentgrowths，untiltheyemergedonthesummitoftheridgewherethetimbergrewscantanddwarfed。

Attheedgeoftimber-lineheshowedagnarledandknottedspruce-tree，twistedoutofallsemblancetoabeautifulspruce，bentandstorm-blasted，withalmostbarebranches，allreachingone\'way。Thetreewasaspecter。Itstoodalone。Ithadlittlegreenuponit。Thereseemedsomethingtragicaboutitscontortions。Butitwasaliveandstrong。

Ithadnorivalstotakesunormoisture。Itsenemieswerethesnowandwindandcoldoftheheights。

Helenfelt，astherealizationcametoher，theknowledgeDalewishedtoimpart，thatitwasassadaswonderful，andasmysteriousasitwasinspiring。Atthatmomenttherewereboththestingandsweetnessoflife——thepainandthejoy——inHelen\'sheart。Thesestrangefactsweregoingtoteachher——totransformher。Andeveniftheyhurt，shewelcomedthem。

CHAPTERXI

"I\'llrideyouifitbreaks——myneck！"pantedBo，passionately，shakingherglovedfistatthegraypony。

Dalestoodnearwithabroadsmileonhisface。Helenwaswithinearshot，watchingfromtheedgeofthepark，andshefeltsofascinatedandfrightenedthatshecouldnotcalloutforBotostop。Thelittlegraymustangwasabeauty，clean-limbedandracy，withlongblackmaneandtail，andafine，spiritedhead。Therewasablanketstrappedonhisback，butnosaddle。Boheldtheshorthalterthathadbeenfastenedinahackamoreknotroundhisnose。Sheworenocoat；herblousewascoveredwithgrassandseeds，anditwasopenattheneck；herhairhunglooseanddisheveled；

onesideofherfaceboreastainofgrassanddirtandasuspicionofblood；theotherwasredandwhite；hereyesblazed；beadsofsweatstoodoutonherbrowandwetplacesshoneonhercheeks。Asshebegantostrainonthehalter，pullingherselfclosertothefierypony，theoutlineofherslendershapestoodoutlitheandstrong。

BohadbeendefeatedinhercherishedanddeterminedambitiontorideDale\'smustang，andshewasfurious。Themustangdidnotappeartobeviciousormean。Buthewasspirited，tricky，mischievous，andhehadthrownhersixtimes。ThesceneofBo\'sdefeatwasattheedgeofthepark，wherethickmossandgrassaffordedsoftplacesforhertofall。Italsoaffordedpoorfootholdforthegraymustang，obviouslyplacinghimatadisadvantage。Daledidnotbridlehim，becausehehadnotbeenbrokentoabridle；andthoughitwasharderforBototrytoridehimbareback，therewaslessriskofherbeinghurt。Bohadbeguninalleagernessandenthusiasm，lovingandpettingthemustang，whichshenamed"Pony。"Shehadevidentlyanticipatedanadventure，buthersmiling，resolutefacehaddenotedconfidence。Ponyhadstoodfairlywelltobemounted，andthenhadpitchedandtosseduntilBohadslidofforbeenupsetorthrown。

AftereachfallBobouncedupwithlessofasmile，andmoreofspirit，untilnowtheWesternpassiontomasterahorsehadsuddenlyleapedtolifewithinher。Itwasnolongerfun，nomoreadaringcircustricktoscareHelenandrouseDale\'sadmiration。TheissuenowlaybetweenBoandthemustang。

Ponyreared，snorting，tossinghishead，andpawingwithfrontfeet。

"Pullhimdown！"yelledDale。

Bodidnothavemuchweight，butshehadstrength，anshehauledwithallhermight，finallybringinghimdown。

"Nowholdhardan\'takeupropean\'getintohim，"calledDale。"Good！You\'resurenotafraidofhim。Heseesthat。

Nowholdhim，talktohim，tellhimyou\'regoin\'toridehim。Pethimalittle。An\'whenhequitsshakin\'，grabhismanean\'jumpupan\'slidealegoverhim。Thenhookyourfeetunderhim，hardasyoucan，an\'stickon。"

IfHelenhadnotbeensofrightenedforBoshewouldhavebeenabletoenjoyherothersensations。Creeping，coldthrillschasedoverherasBo，suppleandquick，slidanarmandalegoverPonyandstraighteneduponhimwithadefiantcry。Ponyjerkedhisheaddown，broughthisfeettogetherinonejump，andbegantobounce。Bogottheswingofhimthistimeandstayedon。

"You\'reridin\'him，"yelledDale。"Nowsqueezehardwithyourknees。Crackhimovertheheadwithyourrope……

That\'stheway。Hangonnowan\'you\'llhavehimbeat。"

ThemustangpitchedalloverthespaceadjacenttoDaleandHelen，tearingupthemossandgrass。SeveraltimeshetossedBohigh，butsheslidbacktogriphimagainwithherlegs，andhecouldnotthrowher。Suddenlyheraisedhisheadandbolted。DaleansweredBo\'striumphantcry。ButPonyhadnotrunfiftyfeetbeforehetrippedandfell，throwingBofaroverhishead。Asluckwouldhaveit——goodluck，Daleafterwardsaid——shelandedinaboggyplaceandtheforceofhermomentumwassuchthatsheslidseveralyards，facedown，inwetmossandblackooze。

Helenutteredascreamandranforward。BowasgettingtoherkneeswhenDalereachedher。Hehelpedherupandhalfled，halfcarriedheroutoftheboggyplace。Bowasnotrecognizable。Fromheadtofootshewasdrippingblackooze。

"Oh，Bo！Areyouhurt？"criedHelen。

EvidentlyBo\'smouthwasfullofmud。

"Pp——su——tt！Ough！Whew！"shesputtered。"Hurt？No！Can\'tyouseewhatIlitin？Dale，thesun-of-a-gundidn\'tthrowme。Hefell，andIwentoverhishead。"

"Right。Yousurerodehim。An\'hetrippedan\'slungyouamile，"repliedDale。"It\'sluckyyoulitinthatbog。"

"Lucky！Witheyesandnosestoppedup？Oooo！I\'mfullofmud。Andmynice——newriding-suit！"

Bo\'stonesindicatedthatshewasreadytocry。Helen，realizingBohadnotbeenhurt，begantolaugh。Hersisterwasthefunniest-lookingobjectthathadevercomebeforehereyes。

"NellRayner——areyou——laughing——atme？"demandedBo，inmostrighteousamazeandanger。

"Melaugh-ing？N-never，Bo，"repliedHelen。"Can\'tyouseeI\'mjust——just——"

"See？Youidiot！myeyesarefullofmud！"flashedBo。"ButIhearyou。I\'ll——I\'llgeteven。"

Dalewaslaughing，too，butnoiselessly，andBo，beingblindforthemoment，couldnotbeawareofthat。Bythistimetheyhadreachedcamp。Helenfellflatandlaughedasshehadneverlaughedbefore。WhenHelenforgotherselfsofarastorollonthegrounditwasindeedalaughingmatter。

Dale\'sbigframeshookashepossessedhimselfofatoweland，wettingitatthespring，begantowipethemudoffBo\'sface。Butthatdidnotserve。Boaskedtobeledtothewater，whereshekneltand，withsplashing，washedouthereyes，andthenherface，andthenthebedraggledstrandsofhair。

"Thatmustangdidn\'tbreakmyneck，butherootedmyfaceinthemud。I\'llfixhim，"shemuttered，asshegotup。"Pleaseletmehavethetowel，now……Well！MiltDale，you\'relaughing！"

"Ex-cuseme，Bo。I——Haw！haw！haw！"ThenDalelurchedoff，holdinghissides。

BogazedafterhimandthenbackatHelen。

"IsupposeifI\'dbeenkickedandsmashedandkilledyou\'dlaugh，"shesaid。Andthenshemelted。"Oh，myprettyriding-suit！Whatamess！Imustbeasight……Nell，I

rodethatwildpony——thesun-of-a-gun！Irodehim！That\'senoughforme。YOUtryit。Laughallyouwant。Itwasfunny。

Butifyouwanttosquareyourselfwithme，helpmecleanmyclothes。"

LateinthenightHelenheardDalesternlycallingPedro。

Shefeltsomelittlealarm。However，nothinghappened，andshesoonwenttosleepagain。AtthemorningmealDaleexplained。

"Pedroan\'Tomwereuneasylastnight。Ithinktherearelionsworkin\'overtheridgesomewhere。Iheardonescream。"

"Scream？"inquiredBo，withinterest。

"Yes，an\'ifyoueverhearalionscreamyouwillthinkitawomaninmortalagony。Thecougarcry，asRoycallsit，isthewildesttobeheardinthewoods。Awolfhowls。Heissad。hungry，andwild。Butacougarseemshumanan\'dyin\'

an\'wild。We\'llsaddleupan\'rideoverthere。MaybePedrowilltreealion。Bo，ifhedoeswillyoushootit？"

"Sure，"repliedBo，withhermouthfullofbiscuit。

Thatwashowtheycametotakealong，slow，steeprideundercoverofdensespruce。Helenlikedtherideaftertheygotontheheights。Buttheydidnotgettoanypointwhereshecouldindulgeinherpleasureofgazingafarovertheranges。Daleledupanddown，andfinallymostlydown，untiltheycameoutwithinsightofsparserwoodedridgeswithparkslyingbelowandstreamsshininginthesun。

MorethanoncePedrohadtobeharshlycalledbyDale。Thehoundscentedgame。

"Here\'sanoldkill，"saidDale，haltingtopointatsomebleachedbonesscatteredunderaspruce。Tuftsofgrayish-whitehairlaystrewnaround。

"Whatwasit？"askedBo。

"Deer，ofcourse。Killedtherean\'eatenbyalion。Sometimelastfall。See，eventheskullissplit。ButIcouldnotsaythattheliondidit。"

Helenshuddered。ShethoughtofthetamedeerdownatDale\'scamp。Howbeautifulandgraceful，andresponsivetokindness！

Theyrodeoutofthewoodsintoagrassyswalewithrocksandclumpsofsomegreenbushesborderingit。HerePedrobarked，thefirsttimeHelenhadheardhim。Thehaironhisneckbristled，anditrequiredsterncallsfromDaletoholdhimin。Daledismounted。

"Hyar，Pede，yougetback，"heordered。"I\'llletyougopresently……Girls，you\'regoin\'toseesomethin\'。Butstayonyourhorses。"

Dale，withthehoundtenseandbristlingbesidehim，strodehereandthereattheedgeoftheswale。Presentlyhehaltedonaslightelevationandbeckonedforthegirlstorideover。

"Here，seewherethegrassispresseddownallnicean\'

round，"hesaid，pointing。"Alionmadethat。Hesneakedthere，watchin\'fordeer。Thatwasdonethismornin\'。Comeon，now。Let\'sseeifwecantrailhim。"

Dalestoopednow，studyingthegrass，andholdingPedro。

Suddenlyhestraightenedupwithaflashinhisgrayeyes。

"Here\'swherehejumped。"

ButHelencouldnotseeanyreasonwhyDaleshouldsaythat。

Themanoftheforesttookalongstridethenanother。

"An\'here\'swherethatlionlitonthebackofthedeer。Itwasabigjump。Seethesharphooftracksofthedeer。"Dalepressedasidetallgrasstoshowdark，rough，freshtracksofadeer，evidentlymadebyviolentaction。

"Comeon，"calledDale，walkingswiftly。"You\'resuregoin\'

toseesomethin\'now……Here\'swherethedeerbounded，carryin\'thelion。"

"What！"exclaimedBo，incredulously。

"Thedeerwasrunnin\'herewiththeliononhisback。I\'llproveittoyou。Comeon，now。Pedro，youstaywithme。

Girls，it\'safreshtrail。"Dalewalkedalong，leadinghishorse，andoccasionallyhepointeddownintothegrass。

"There！Seethat！That\'shair。"

Helendidseesometuftsofgrayishhairscatteredontheground，andshebelievedshesawlittle，darkseparationsinthegrass，whereananimalhadrecentlypassed。AllatonceDalehalted。WhenHelenreachedhimBowasalreadythereandtheyweregazingdownatawide，flattenedspaceinthegrass。EvenHelen\'sinexperiencedeyescouldmakeoutevidencesofastruggle。Tuftsofgray-whitehairlayuponthecrushedgrass。Helendidnotneedtoseeanymore，butDalesilentlypointedtoapatchofblood。Thenhespoke：

"Thelionbroughtthedeerdownherean\'killedhim。

Probablybrokehisneck。Thatdeerranahundredyardswiththelion。See，here\'sthetrailleftwheretheliondraggedthedeeroff。"

Awell-definedpathshowedacrosstheswale。

"Girls，you\'llseethatdeerprettyquick，"declaredDale，startingforward。"Thisworkhasjustbeendone。Onlyafewminutesago。"

"Howcanyoutell？"queriedBo。

"Look！Seethatgrass。Ithasbeenbentdownbythedeerbein\'draggedoverit。Nowit\'sspringin\'up。"

Dale\'snextstopwasontheothersideoftheswale，underasprucewithlow，spreadingbranches。ThelookofPedroquickenedHelen\'spulse。Hewaswildtogivechase。

FearfullyHelenlookedwhereDalepointed，expectingtoseethelion。Butshesawinsteadadeerlyingprostratewithtongueoutandsightlesseyesandbloodyhair。

"Girls，thatlionheardusan\'left。He\'snotfar，"saidDale，ashestoopedtolifttheheadofthedeer。"Warm！

Neckbroken。Seethelion\'steethan\'clawmarks……It\'sadoe。Lookhere。Don\'tbesqueamish，girls。Thisisonlyanhourlyincidentofeverydaylifeintheforest。SeewherethelionhasrolledtheskindownasneatasIcoulddoit，an\'he\'djustbeguntobiteintherewhenheheardus。"

"Whatmurderouswork，Thesightsickensme！"exclaimedHelen。

"Itisnature，"saidDale，simply。

"Let\'skillthelion，"addedBo。

ForanswerDaletookaquickturnattheirsaddle-girths，andthen，mounting，hecalledtothehound。"Hunthimup，Pedro。"

Likeashotthehoundwasoff。

"Rideinmytracksan\'keepclosetome，"calledDale，ashewheeledhishorse。

"We\'reoff！"squealedBo，inwilddelight，andshemadehermountplunge。

Helenurgedherhorseafterthemandtheybrokeacrossacomeroftheswaletothewoods。Pedrowasrunningstraight，withhisnosehigh。Heletoutoneshortbark。Heheadedintothewoods，withDalenotfarbehind。HelenwasononeofDale\'sbesthorses，butthatfactscarcelymanifesteditself，becausetheothersbegantoincreasetheirlead。

Theyenteredthewoods。Itwasopen，andfairlygoodgoing。

Bo\'shorseranasfastinthewoodsashedidintheopen。

ThatfrightenedHelenandsheyelledtoBotoholdhimin。

Sheyelledtodeafears。ThatwasBo\'sgreatrisk——shedidnotintendtobecareful。SuddenlytheforestrangwithDale\'sencouragingyell，meanttoaidthegirlsinfollowinghim。Helen\'shorsecaughtthespiritofthechase。HegainedsomewhatonBo，hurdlinglogs，sometimestwoatonce。

Helen\'sbloodleapedwithastrangeexcitement，utterlyunfamiliarandasutterlyresistless。Yethernaturalfear，andtheintelligencethatreckonedwiththefoolishriskofthisride，sharedalikeinhersumofsensations。ShetriedtorememberDale\'scautionaboutdodgingbranchesandsnags，andslidingherkneesbacktoavoidknocksfromtrees。Shebarelymissedsomefrightfulreachingbranches。Shereceivedahardknock，thenanother，thatunseatedher，butfranticallysheheldonandslidback，andattheendofalongrunthroughcomparativelyopenforestshegotastingingblowinthefacefromafar-spreadingbranchofpine。Bomissed，bywhatseemedonlyaninch，asolidsnagthatwouldhavebrokenherintwo。BothPedroandDalegotoutofHelen\'ssight。ThenHelen，asshebegantoloseBo，feltthatshewouldratherrungreaterrisksthanbeleftbehindtogetlostintheforest，andsheurgedherhorse。

Dale\'syellpealedback。Thenitseemedevenmorethrillingtofollowbysoundthanbysight。Windandbrushtoreather。Theairwasheavilypungentwithodorofpine。Helenheardawild，fullbayofthehound，ringingback，fullofsavageeagerness，andshebelievedPedrohadrousedoutthelionfromsomecovert。Itlentmorestirtoherbloodanditsurelyurgedherhorseonfaster。

Thentheswiftpaceslackened。AwindfalloftimberdelayedHelen。ShecaughtaglimpseofDalefarahead，climbingaslope。Theforestseemedfullofhisringingyell。Helenstrangelywishedforlevelgroundandtheformerswiftmotion。NextshesawBoworkingdowntotheright，andDale\'syellnowcamefromthatdirection。Helenfollowed，gotoutofthetimber，andmadebettertimeonagradualslopedowntoanotherpark。

WhenshereachedtheopenshesawBoalmostacrossthisnarrowopenground。HereHelendidnotneedtourgehermount。HesnortedandplungedatthelevelandhegottogoingsofastthatHelenwouldhavescreamedaloudinmingledfearanddelightifshehadnotbeenbreathless。

Herhorsehadthebadlucktocrosssoftground。HewenttohiskneesandHelensailedoutofthesaddleoverhishead。

Softwillowsandwetgrassbrokeherfall。Shewassurprisedtofindherselfunhurt。UpsheboundedandcertainlydidnotknowthisnewHelenRayner。Herhorsewascoming，andhehadpatiencewithher，buthewantedtohurry。Helenmadethequickestmountofherexperienceandsomehowfeltaprideinit。ShewouldtellBothat。ButjustthenBoflashedintothewoodsoutofsight。Helenfairlychargedintothatgreenfoliage，breakingbrushandbranches。Shebrokethroughintoopenforest。Bowasinside，ridingdownanaislebetweenpinesandspruces。AtthatjunctureHelenheardDale\'smelodiousyellnearathand。Comingintostillmoreopenforest，withrockshereandthere，shesawDaledismountedunderapine，andPedrostandingwithforepawsuponthetree-trunk，andthenhighuponabranchahugetawnycoloredlion，justlikeTom。

Bo\'shorseslowedupandshowedfear，buthekeptonasfarasDale\'shorse。ButHelen\'srefusedtogoanynearer。Shehaddifficultyinhaltinghim。Presentlyshedismountedand，throwingherbridleoverastump，sheranon，pantingandfearful，yettinglingallover，uptohersisterandDale。

"Nell，youdidprettygoodforatenderfoot，"wasBo\'sgreeting。

"Itwasafinechase，"saidDale。"Youbothrodewell。I

wishyoucouldhaveseenthelionontheground。Hebounded——greatlongboundswithhistailupintheair——veryfunny。An\'Pedroalmostcaughtupwithhim。Thatscaredme，becausehewouldhavekilledthehound。Pedrowasclosetohimwhenhetreed。An\'thereheis——theyellowdeer-killer。He\'samalean\'fullgrown。"

WiththatDalepulledhisriflefromitssaddle-sheathandlookedexpectantlyatBo。Butshewasgazingwithgreatinterestandadmirationupatthelion。

"Isn\'thejustbeautiful？"sheburstout。"Oh，lookathimspit！Justlikeacat！Dale，helooksafraidhemightfalloff。"

"Hesuredoes。Lionsareneversureoftheirbalanceinatree。ButIneversawonemakeamisstep。Heknowshedoesn\'tbelongthere。"

ToHelenthelionlookedsplendidperchedupthere。Hewaslongandroundandgracefulandtawny。Histonguehungoutandhisplumpsidesheaved，showingwhataquick，hardrunhehadbeendrivento。WhatstruckHelenmostforciblyabouthimwassomethinginhisfaceashelookeddownatthehound。Hewasscared。Herealizedhisperil。ItwasnotpossibleforHelentowatchhimkilled，yetshecouldnotbringherselftobegBonottoshoot。Helenconfessedshewasatenderfoot。

"Getdown，Bo，an\'let\'sseehowgoodashotyouare，saidDale。BoslowlywithdrewherfascinatedgazefromthelionandlookedwitharuefulsmileatDale。

"I\'vechangedmymind。IsaidIwouldkillhim，butnowI

can\'t。Helooksso——sodifferentfromwhatI\'dimagined。"