IsawtheSoutherner’shandgriphishatashewasturningitround。Hehelditstillnow，andhisotherhandfounditandgraduallycrumpledthesoftcrownin。Itmeanteverythingtohim:
recognition，higherstation，betterfortune，aseparatehouseofhisown，and——perhaps——onestepnearertothewomanhewanted。I
don’tknowwhatwordshemighthavesaidtotheJudgehadtheybeenalone，buttheJudgehadchosentodoitinourpresence，thewholethingfrombeginningtoend。TheVirginiansatwiththedampcomingoutonhisforehead，andhiseyesdroppedfromhisemployer’s。
“Thankyu’，“waswhathemanagedatlasttosay。
“Well，now，I’mgreatlyrelieved！“exclaimedtheJudge，risingatonce。Hespokewithhaste，andlightly。“That’sexcellent。Iwasinsomethingofahole，“hesaidtoOgdenandme；“andthisgivesmeonethinglesstothinkof。Savesmealotofparticulars，“hejocoselyaddedtotheVirginian，whowasnowalsostandingup。“Beginrightoff。Leavethebunkhouse。Thegentlemenwon’tmindyoursleepinginyourownhouse。“
Thushedismissedhisnewforemangayly。Butthenewforeman，whenhegotoutside，turnedbackforonegruffword，——“I’lltrytopleaseyu’。“Thatwasall。Hewasgoneinthedarkness。Buttherewaslightenoughforme，lookingafterhim，toseehimlayhishandonashoulder-highgateandvaultitasifhehadbeenthewind。Soundsofcheeringcametousafewmomentslaterfromthebunkhouse。Evidentlyhehad“begunrightaway，“astheJudgehaddirected。Hehadtoldhisfortunetohisbrothercow-punchers，andthiswastheiranswer。
“IwonderifTrampasisshoutingtoo？“inquiredOgden。
“Hm！“saidtheJudge。“ThatisoneoftheparticularsIwashmyhandsof。“
Iknewthatheentirelymeantit。Iknew，oncehisdecisiontakenofappointingtheVirginianhislieutenantforgoodandall，that，likeawisecommander-in-chief，hewouldtrusthislieutenanttotakecareofhisownbusiness。
“Well，“Ogdenpursuedwithinterest，“haven’tyoulandedTrampasplumpathismercy？“
ThephrasetickledtheJudge。“ThatiswhereI’velandedhim！“hedeclared。“AndhereisDr。MacBride。“
Thundersatimminentuponthemissionary’sbrow。Manyweretobeathismercysoon。Butforushehadsunshinestill。“Iamtrulysorrytobeturningyouupsidedown，“hesaidimportantly。“Butitseemsthebestplaceformyservice。“Hespokeofthetablespushedbackandthechairsgatheredinthehall，wherethestormwouldpresentlybreakuponthecongregation。“Eight-thirty？heinquired。
Thiswasthehourappointed，anditwasonlytwentyminutesoff。
Wethrewtheunsmokedfractionsofourcigarsaway，andreturnedtoofferourservicestotheladies。Thisamusedtheladies。Theyhaddonewithoutus。Allwasreadyinthehall。
“Wegotthecooktohelpus，“Mrs。Ogdentoldme，“soasnottodisturbyourcigars。Inspiteofthecow-boys，Istillrecognizemyowncountry。“
“Inthecook？“Iratherdenselyasked。
“Oh，no！Idon’thaveaChinaman。It’sinthelengthofafter-dinnercigars。“
“Hadyoubeensmoking，“Ireturned，“youwouldhavefoundthemshortthisevening。“
“Youmakeitworse，“saidthelady；“wehavehadnothingbutDr。
MacBride。“
We’llsharehimwithyounow，“Iexclaimed。“Hasheannouncedhistext？I’vegotoneforhint，“saidMollyWood，joiningus。Shestoodontiptoeandspokeitcomicallyinourears。“’Isaidinmyhaste，Allmenareliars。’“Thismadeusmerryaswestoodamongthechairsinthecongestedhall。
Ilefttheladies，andsoughtthebunkhouse。Ihadheardthecheers，butIwascuriousalsotoseethemen，andhowtheyweretakingit。Therewasbutlittlefortheeye。Therewasmuchnoiseintheroom。Theyweregettingreadytocometochurch，——brushingtheirhair，shaving，andmakingthemselvesclean，amidtalkoccasionallyprofaneandcontinuouslydiverting。
“Well，I’maChristian，anyway，“onedeclared。
“I’maMormon，Iguess，“saidanother。
“IbelongtotheKnightsofPythias，“saidathird。
“I’maMohammedist，“saidafourth；“IhopeIain’tgoin’tohearnothin’toshockme。“
Andtheywentonwiththeirjoking。ButTrampaswasoutofthejoking。Helayonhisbedreadinganewspaper，andtooknopainstolookpleasant。MyeyeswereconsideringhimwhentheblitheScipiocamein。
“Don’tlooksobashful，“saidhe。“There’sonlyusgirlshere。“
HehadbeenhelpingtheVirginianmovehisbelongingsfromthebunkhouseovertotheforeman’scabin。HehimselfwastooccupytheVirginian’soldbedhere。“AndIhopesleepin’initwillbringmesomeofhisluck，“saidScipio。“Yu’doughtto’veseenuswhenhetoldusinhisquietway。Well，“Scipiosighedalittle，“itmustfeelgoodtohaveyourfriendsgladaboutyou。“
“EspeciallyTrampas，“saidI。“TheJudgeknowsaboutthat，“I
added。
“Knows，doeshe？What’shesay？“Scipiodrewmequicklyoutofthebunkhouse。“Saysit’snobusinessofhis。“
“Saidnothingbutthat？“Scipio’scuriosityseemedstrangelyintense。“Madenosuggestion？Notathing？“
“Notathing。Saidhedidn’twanttoknowanddidn’tcare。“
“Howdidhehappentohearaboutit？“snappedScipio。“Youtoldhim！“heimmediatelyguessed。“Heneverwould。“AndScipiojerkedhisthumbattheVirginian，whoappearedforamomentinthelightedwindowofthenewquartershewasarranging。“Heneverwouldtell，“Scipiorepeated。“AndsotheJudgenevermadeasuggestiontohim，“hemuttered，noddinginthedarkness。“Soit’sjusthisownnotion。Justlikehim，too，cometothinkofit。OnlyIdidn’texpect——well，Iguesshecouldsurprisemeanydayhetried。“
“You’resurprisingmenow，“Isaid。“What’sitallabout？“
“Oh，himandTrampas。“
“What？Nothingsurelyhappenedyet？“IwasascuriousasScipiohadbeen。
“No，notyet。Buttherewill。“
“GreatHeavens，man！when？“
“JustassoonasTrampasmakesthefirstmove，“Scipiorepliedeasily。
Ibecamedignified。ScipiohadevidentlybeentoldthingsbytheVirginian。
“Yes，Iupandaskedhimplumbout，“Scipioanswered。“Iwasliftin’histrunkinatthedoor，andIcouldn’tstanditnolonger，andIaskedhimplumbout。’Yu’vesuregotTrampaswhereyu’wanthim。’That’swhatIsaid。Andheupandansweredandtoldme。SoIknow。“AtthispointScipiostopped；Iwasnottoknow。
“Ihadnoidea，“Isaid，“thatyoursystemheldsomuchmeanness。“
“Oh，itain’tmeanness！“Andhelaughedecstatically。
“Whatdoyoucallit，then？“
“He’dcallitdiscretion，“saidScipio。Thenhebecameserious。
“It’stooblamedgrandtotellyu’。I’llleaveyu’toseeithappen。Keeparound，that’sall。Keeparound。IprettynearwishIdidn’tknowitmyself。“
WhatwithmyfeelingsatScipio’sdiscretion，andmyhumancuriosity，Iwasnotinthatmoodwhichbestprofitsfromasermon。Yeteventhoughmyexpectationshadbeencruellyleftquiveringinmidair，IwasnotsurehowmuchIreallywantedto“keeparound。“YouwillthereforeunderstandhowDr。MacBridewasabletomakeaprayerandtoreadScripturewithoutmybeingconsciousofawordthathehaduttered。ItwaswhenIsawhimopeningthemanuscriptofhissermonthatIsuddenlyrememberedI
wassitting，sotospeak，inchurch，andbeganoncemoretothinkofthepreacherandhiscongregation。Ourchairswereinthefrontline，ofcourse；but，beingnextthewall，Icouldeasilyseethecow-boysbehindme。Theywereperfectlydecorous。IfMrs。
Ogdenhadlookedforpistols，daredevilattitudes，andsoforth，shemusthavebeengreatlydisappointed。Exceptfortheirweather-beatencheeksandeyes，theyweresimplyAmericanyoungmenwithmustachesandwithout，andmighthavebeensitting，say，inDanbury，Connecticut。EvenTrampasmergedquietlywiththegeneralplacidity。TheVirginiandidnot，tobesure，looklikeDanbury，andhisframeandhisfeaturesshowedoutofthemass；
buthiseyeswereuponDr。MacBridewithacreamlikepropriety。
OurmissionarydidnotchooseMissWood’stext。HemadehisselectionfromanotherofthePsalms；andwhenitcame，Ididnotdaretolookatanybody；Iwasmuchnearerunseemlyconductthanthecow-boys。Dr。MacBridegaveushistextsonorously，“’Theyarealtogetherbecomefilthy；Thereisnoneofthemthatdoethgood，no，notone。’“Hiseyeshowedusplainlythatpresentcompanywasnotexceptedfromthis。Herepeatedthetextoncemore，then，launchinguponhisdiscourse，gavenoneofusarayofhope。
Ihadhearditalloftenbefore；butpreachedtocow-boysittookonanewglareofuntimeliness，ofgrotesqueobsoleteness——asifsomeoneshouldsay，“Letmepersuadeyoutoadmirewoman，“andforthwithholdoutherbleachedbonestoyou。Thecow-boysweretoldthatnotonlytheycoulddonogood，butthatiftheydidcontriveto，itwouldnothelpthem。Nay，more:notonlyhonestdeedsavailedthemnothing，buteveniftheyacceptedthisespecialcreedwhichwasbeingexplainedtothemasnecessaryforsalvation，stillitmightnotsavethem。Theirsinwasindeedthecauseoftheirdamnation，yet，keepingfromsin，theymightneverthelessbelost。Ithadallbeensettledforthemnotonlybeforetheywereborn，butbeforeAdamwasshaped。Havingtoldthemthis，heinvitedthemtoglorifytheCreatorofthescheme。
Evenifdamned，theymustpraisethepersonwhohadmadethemexpresslyfordamnation。ThatiswhatIheardhimprovebylogictothesecow-boys。Stoneuponstonehebuilttheblackcellarofhistheology，leavingoutitsbeautifulparkandthesunshineofitsgarden。Hedidnottellthemthesplendorofitspast，thenoblefortressforgoodthatithadbeen，howitstonichadstrengthenedgenerationsoftheirfathers。No；wrathhespokeof，andneveronceoflove。Itwasthebishop’sway，Iknewwell，toholdcow-boysbyhomelytalkoftheirspecialhardshipsandtemptations。Andwhentheyfellhespoketothemofforgivenessandbroughtthemencouragement。ButDr。MacBrideneverthoughtonceofthelivesofthesewaifs。Likehimself，likeallmankind，theywereinvisibledotsincreation；likehim，theyweretofeelasnothing，tobesweptupinthepotentheatofhisfaith。Sohethrustouttothemnoneofthesweetbutallthebitterofhiscreed，nakedandsternasiron。Dogmawashisallinall，andpoorhumanitywasnothingbutfleshforitscanyons。
Thustokillwhatchancehehadforbeingofuseseemedtomemoredeplorablethanitdidevidentlytothem。Theirattentionmerelywandered。Threehundredyearsagotheywouldhavebeenfrightened；butnotinthiselectricday。IsawScipiostiflingasmilewhenitcametothedoctrineoforiginalsin。“Weknowofitstruth，“saidDr。MacBride，“fromtheseveretroublesanddistressestowhichinfantsareliable，andfromdeathpassinguponthembeforetheyarecapableofsinning。YetIknewhewasagoodman；andIalsoknewthatifamissionaryistobetactless，hemightalmostaswellbebad。
Isaidtheirattentionwandered，butIforgottheVirginian。Atfirsthisattitudemighthavebeenmerepropriety。Onecanlookrespectfullyatapreacherandbeinternallybreakingallthecommandments。ButevenwiththetextIsawrealattentionlightintheVirginian’seye。Andkeepingtrackoftheconcentrationthatgrewonhimwitheachminutemadethesermonshortforme。
Hemissednothing。Beforetheendhisgazeatthepreacherhadbecomeswerveless。Washeconvertorcritic？Convertwasincredible。ThuswasanhourpassedbeforeIhadthoughtoftime。
Whenitwasoverwetookitvariously。Thepreacherwasgenialandspokeofhavingnowbrokengroundforthelessonsthathehopedtoinstil。Hediscoursedforawhileabouttrout-fishingandabouttherumoreduneasinessoftheIndiansnorthwardwherehewasgoing。Itwasplainthathispersonalsafetynevergavehimathought。Hesoonbadeusgoodnight。TheOgdensshruggedtheirshouldersandwereamused。Thatwastheirwayoftakingit。
Dr。MacBridesattooheavilyontheJudge’sshouldersforhimtoshrugthem。AsaleadingcitizenintheTerritoryhekeptopenhouseforallcomers。Policyandgoodnaturemadehimbidwelcomeawidevarietyoftravellers。Thecow-boyoutofemploymentfoundbedandamealforhimselfandhishorse，andmissionarieshadbeforenowbeenwellreceivedatSunkCreekRanch。
“IsupposeI’llhavetotakehimfishing，“saidtheJudge，ruefully。
“Yes，mydear，“saidhiswife，“youwill。AndIshallhavetomakehisteaforsixdays。“
“Otherwise，“Ogdensuggested，“itmightbereportedthatyouwereenemiesofreligion。“