\"Hennicker’sitis!Leadon。\"
Theostlerremountedhishorse，andtheothersfollowed。Thetrailpresentlyturnedintoabroadertrack，thatboresomesignsofapproachinghabitations，andattheendoffiveminutestheycameuponaclearing。Itwaspartofoneofthefragmentarymountainterraces，andformedbyitselfavastniche，orbracketedshelf，inthehollowflankofthemountainthat，toHale’sfirstglance，borearuderesemblancetoEagle’sCourt。Buttherewasneithermeadownoropenfield；thefewacresofgroundhadbeenwrestedfromtheforestbyaxeandfire，andunsightlystumpseverywheremarkedtherudeanddifficultattemptsatcultivation。Twoorthreeroughbuildingsofunplanedandunpaintedboards，connectedbyramblingsheds，stoodinthecentreoftheamphitheatre。Farfrombeingprotectedbytheencirclingrampart，itseemedtobetheselectedarenaforthecombatingelements。AwhirlwindfromtheouterabysscontinuallyfilledthiscaveofAEoluswithdrivingsnow，which，however，meltedasitfell，orwasquicklywhirledawayagain。
Afewdogsbarkedandranouttomeetthecavalcade，buttherewasnoothersignofanylifedisturbedorconcernedattheirapproach。
\"IreckonHennickerain’thome，orhe’dhevbeenonthelookoutaforethis，\"saidtheostler，dismountingandrappingonthedoor。
Afterasilence，afemalevoice，unintelligiblytotheothers，apparentlyhadsomecolloquywiththeostler，whoreturnedtotheparty。
\"Mustgointhroughthekitchin——can’topenthedoorforthewind。\"
Leavingtheirhorsesintheshed，theyenteredthekitchen，whichcommunicated，andpresentlycameuponasquareroomfilledwithsmokefromafireofgreenpinelogs。Thedoorsandwindowsweretightlyfastened；theonlyaircameinthroughthelarge—throatedchimneyinvoluminousgusts，whichseemedtomakethehollowshelloftheapartmentswellandexpandtothepointofbursting。
Despitethestingingoftheresinoussmoke，thetemperaturewasgratefultothebenumbedtravellers。Severalcushionlessarm—
chairs，suchaswereusedinbar—rooms，twotables，asideboard，halfbarandhalfcupboard，andarocking—chaircomprisedthefurniture，andafewbearandbuffaloskinscoveredthefloor。
Halesankintooneofthearm—chairs，and，withalazysatisfaction，partlybornofhisfatigueandpartlyfromsomenewly—discoveredappreciativefaculty，gazedaroundtheroom，andthenatthemistressofthehouse，withwhomtheothersweretalking。
Shewastall，gaunt，andwithered；inspiteofherevidentyears，hertwistedhairwasstilldarkandfull，andhereyesbrightandpiercing；hercomplexionandteethhadlongsincesuccumbedtothevitiatingeffectsoffrontiercookery，andherlipswerestainedwiththeyellowjuiceofabrier—woodpipesheheldinhermouth。
Theostlerhadexplainedtheirintrusion，andveiledtheircharacterunderthevagueepithetofa\"huntingparty，\"andwasnowevidentlydescribingthempersonally。Inhisnew—foundphilosophythefactthattheinterestofhishostessseemedtobeexcitedonlybythenamesofhiscompanions，thathehimselfwascarelessly，andevendeprecatingly，alludedtoasthe\"strangerfromEagle’s\"bytheostler，andcompletelyoverlookedbytheoldwoman，gavehimnoconcern。
\"You’llhavetotalktoZenobiayourself。DodrotefI’mginetointerfere。SheknowsHennicker’sways，andifshechoosestotakeintransientsitain’tnofuneralo’mine。Zeenie!You，Zeenie!
Lookyer!\"
Atall，lazy—looking，handsomegirlappearedonthethresholdofthenextroom，andwithahandoneachdoor—postslowlyswungherselfbackwardsandforwards，withoutentering。\"Well，Maw？\"
Theoldwomanbrieflyandunalluringlypicturedtheconditionofthetravellers。
\"Pawain’there，\"beganthegirldoubtfully，\"and——Howdy，Dick!
isthatyou？\"Theinterruptionwascausedbyherrecognitionoftheostler，andsheloungedintotheroom。Inspiteofaskimp，slatternlygown，whosestraightskirtclungtoherlowerlimbs，therewasaquaint，nymph—likecontourtoherfigure。Whetherfromlanguor，ill—health，ormoreprobablyfromamorbidconsciousnessofherownheight，shemovedwithaslightlyaffectedstoopthathadbecomeahabit。ItdidnotseemungracefultoHale，alreadyattractedbyherdelicateprofile，herlargedarkeyes，andacertainweirdresemblanceshehadtosomehalf—domesticateddryad。
\"That’lldo，Maw，\"shesaid，dismissingherparentwithanod。
\"I’lltalktoDick。\"
Asthedoorclosedontheoldwoman，Zenobialeanedherhandsonthebackofachair，andconfrontedtheadmiringeyesofDickwithagoddess—likeindifference。
\"Nowwot’stheuseofyourplayin’thisyergameonme，Dick？
Wot’sthegoodofyourladlin’outthathogwashabouthuntin’？
HUNTIN’!I’lltellyerthehuntin’you—unshevbeenat!You’vebeenhuntin’GeorgeLeeandhisboyssinceanhourbeforesunup。
You’vebeenfollowin’ablindtrailuptotheRidge，untilthesnowgotupandhuntedYOUrighthere!You’vebeenwhoopin’andyellin’
andcircus—ridin’ontheroadslikeezyerwosComanches，andfrighteningallthewomenfolkwithinmiles——that’syourhuntin’!
You’vebeenclimbin’downPaw’soldslideatlast，andmakin’
tracksforheretosavetheskinsofthemcondemnedgovernmenthorsesoftheKempany!AndTHAT’Syourhuntin’!\"
ToHale’ssurprise，aburstoflaughterfromthepartyfollowedthisspeech。Hetriedtojoinin，butthisridiculoussummaryoftheresultofhisenthusiasticsenseofdutylefthim——theonlyearnestbelievermortifiedandembarrassed。Norwashethelessconcernedashefoundthegirl’sdarkeyeshadrestedonceortwiceuponhimcuriously。Zenobialaughedtoo，and，lazilyturningthechairaround，droppedintoit。\"AndbythistimeGeorgeLee’sloungin’backinhischyarandsmokin’hiscigyarsomewharinSacramento，\"sheadded，stretchingherfeetouttothefire，andsuitingtheactiontothewordwithanimaginarycigarbetweenthelongfingersofathinandnotover—cleanhand。
\"Wecave，Zeenie!\"saidRawlins，whentheirhilarityhadsubsidedtoamoresubduedandscarcelylessflatteringadmirationoftheunconcernedgoddessbeforethem。\"That’saboutthesizeofit。
Youkinrakedownthepile。Iforgotyou’reanoldfriendofGeorge’s。\"
\"He’sawhiteman!\"saidthegirldecidedly。
\"Yeusedtoknowhim？\"continuedRawlins。
\"Once。Pawain’tinthatlinenow，\"shesaidsimply。
TherewassuchasublimeunconsciousnessofanymoraldegradationinvolvedinthisallusionthatevenHaleaccepteditwithoutashock。Sherosepresently，and，goingtothelittlesideboard，broughtoutanumberofglasses；theseshehandedtoeachoftheparty，andthen，producingademijohnofwhiskey，slungitdexterouslyandgracefullyoverherarm，sothatitrestedonherelbowlikeacradle，and，goingtoeachoneinsuccession，filledtheirglasses。Itobligedeachonetorisetoacceptthelibation，andasHaledidsoinhisturnhemetthedarkeyesofthegirlfullonhisown。Therewasapleasedcuriosityinherglancethatmadethismarriedmanofthirty—fivecolorasawkwardlyasaboy。
Thetenderofrefreshmentbeingunderstoodasatacitrecognitionoftheirclaimstoalargerhospitality，allfurtherrestraintwasremoved。Zenobiaresumedherseat，andplacingherelbowonthearmofherchair，andhersmallroundchininherhand，lookedthoughtfullyinthefire。\"WhenIsayGeorgeLee’sawhiteman，itain’tbecauseIknowhim。It’shisgeneralgait。Wot’sheeverdonethat’sunderhandedormean？Nothin’!Youkantshowthepoormanhe’severtookapicayunefrom。Whenhe’shelpedhimselftoapileit’sbeenouterthembanksorthemexpresscompanies，thatthinkitmightyfinetobustupthemselves，andswindlethepoorfolkso’theirlastcent，andnobodytalkso’huntin’THEM!Anddoeshekeeptheirmoney？No；hepassesitroundamongtheboysthathelphim，andtheyputitincirculation。HEdon’tkeepitforhimself；heain’tgotfinehousesinFrisco；hedon’tkeepfasthorsesforshow。Likeeznotthecritterhedidthatjobwith——efitwashim——noneofyouboyswouldhaverid!Andhetakesalltheriskshimself；youkenbetyourlifethateverymanwithhimwassafeandawayaforeheturnedhisbackonyou—uns。\"
\"Hecertainlydropsalittleofhismoneyatdrawpoker，Zeenie，\"
saidClinch，laughing。\"HelostfivethousanddollarstoSheriffKellylastweek。\"
\"Well，Idon’thearofthesheriffhuntin’himtogiveitback，nordoIreckonKellyhandeditovertotheExpressitwastakenfrom。
IheardYOUwonsuthin’fromhimaspellago。Ireckonyou’vebeenhuntin’himtofindoutwharyoushouldreturnit。\"ThelaughwasclearlyagainstClinch。Hewasabouttomakesomerallyingrejoinderwhentheyounggirlsuddenlyinterruptedhim。\"Efyou’rewantin’tohuntsomebody，whydon’tyoutakehighergame？Thar’sthatJimHarkins：goforhim，andI’lljoinyou。\"
\"Harkins!\"exclaimedClinchandHalesimultaneously。
\"Yes，JimHarkins；doyouknowhim？\"shesaid，glancingfromonetotheother。
\"Oneofmyfriendsdo，\"saidClinchlaughing；\"butdon’tletthatstopyou。\"
\"AndYOU——overthere，\"continuedZenobia，bendingherheadandeyestowardsHale。
\"Thefactis——Ibelievehewasmybanker，\"saidHale，withasmile。
\"Idon’tknowhimpersonally。\"
\"Thenyou’dbetterhunthimbeforehedoesyou。\"
\"What’sHEdone，Zeenie？\"askedRawlins，keenlyenjoyingthediscomfitureoftheothers。
\"What？\"Shestopped，threwherlongblackbraidsoverhershoulder，claspedherkneewithherhands，androckingbackwardsandforwards，sublimelyunconsciousoftheapparitionofaslimankleandhalf—dropped—offslipperfromunderhershortenedgown，continued，\"Itmightn’tpleaseHIM，\"shesaidslyly，noddingtowardsHale。
\"Praydon’tmindme，\"saidHale，withunnecessaryeagerness。
\"Well，\"saidZenobia，\"IreckonyouallknowNedFalknerandtheExcelsiorDitch？\"
\"Yes，Falkner’sthesuperintendentofit，\"saidRawlins。\"Andasquaremantoo。Tharain’tanythingmeanabouthim。\"
\"Shake，\"saidZenobia，extendingherhand。Rawlinsshooktheprofferedhandwitheagerspontaneousness，andthegirlresumed：
\"He’saboutezgoodeztheymake’em——youbet。Well，youknowNedhasputallhismoney，andallhisstrength，andallhissabe，and——\"
\"Hisgoodlooks，\"addedClinchmischievously。
\"IntothatDitch，\"continuedZenobia，ignoringtheinterruption。
\"It’shismother，it’shissweetheart，it’shiseverything!Whenotherchapsofhisagewascavortin’roundFrisco，andhavin’highjinks，NedwasinhisDitch。’WaittilltheDitchisdone，’heusedtosay。’Waittillshebeginstoboom，andthenyoujuststandround。’Mor’nthat，hegotalltheboystoputintheirlastcent——fortheylovedNed，andlovehimnow，likeezefhewosawoman。\"
\"That’sso，\"saidClinchandRawlinssimultaneously，\"andhe’sworthit。\"
\"Well，\"continuedZenobia，\"theDitchdidn’tboomezsooneztheykalkilated。Andthentheboyskeptgettin’poorerandpoorer，andNedhekeptgettin’poorerandpoorerineverythingbuthishopefulnessandgrit。Thenhelooksaroundformorecapital。Andaboutthistime，thatcoyoteHarkinssmeltsuthin’niceupthere，andhegitsNedtogivehimcontrolofit，andhe’lllendhimhisnameandfixupacompany。Soonezhegetscontrol，thefirstthinghedoesistosaythatitwantshalfamilliono’moneytomakeitpay，andleviesanassessmentoftwohundreddollarsashare。That’snothin’forthemrichfellowstopay，orpretendtopay，butforboysongrubwagesitmeantonlyruin。Theycouldn’tpay，andhadtoforfeittheirsharesfornexttonothing。AndNedmadeonemoredesperateattempttosavethemandhimselfbyborrowingmoneyonhisshares；whenthathoundHarkinsgotwindofit，andletitbebuzzedaroundthattheDitchisafailure，andthathewasgoin’outofit；thatbroughtthesharesdowntonothing。AsNedcouldn’traiseadollar，thenewcompanyswoopeddownonhissharesforthedebtsTHEYhadputup，andlefthimandtheboystohelpthemselves。Nedcouldn’tbeartofacetheboysthathe’dhelpedtoruin，andputout，andain’tbeenheardfromsince。AfterHarkinshadgotridofNedandtheboyshemanagestopayoffthatwonderfuldebt，andsellsoutforahundredthousanddollars。Thatmoney——Ned’smoney——hesendstoSacramento，forhedon’tdaretotravelwithithimself，andiskalkilatin’toleavethekentry，forsomeoftheboysallowtokillhimonsight。Soefyou’rewantin’tohuntsuthin’，thar’syerchance，andyouneedn’tgointerthesnowtodoit。\"
\"Butsurelythelawcanrecoverthismoney？\"saidHaleindignantly。
\"Itisasinfamousarobberyas——\"HestoppedashecaughtZenobia’seye。
\"Ezlastnight’s，youweregoin’tosay。I’llcallitMORE。Themroadagentsdon’tpretendtobeyourfriend——buttakeyermoneyandruntheirrisks。Foreztothelaw——thatcan’thelpyer。\"
\"It’saskingame，andyoumightezwellexpecttorecoveragamblingdebtfromashort—cardsharp，\"explainedClinch；\"Falkneroughtershothimonsight。\"
\"Ortheboyslynchedhim，\"suggestedRawlins。
\"Ithink，\"saidHale，morereflectively，\"thatintheabsenceoflegalremedyamanofthatkindshouldhavebeenforcedunderstrongphysicalmenacetogiveuphisill—gottengains。Themoneywastheprimaryobject，andifthatcouldbegotwithoutbloodshed——
whichseemstomeauselesscrime——itwouldbequiteaseffective。
Ofcourse，iftherewasresistanceorretaliation，itmightbenecessarytokillhim。\"
Hehadunconsciouslyfallenintohisolddidacticanddogmatichabitofspeech，andperhaps，underthespurofZenobia’seyes，hehadgivenitsomenaturalemphasis。Adeadsilencefollowed，inwhichtheothersregardedhimwithamusedandgratifiedsurprise，anditwasbrokenonlybyZenobiarisingandholdingoutherhand。
\"Shake!\"
Haleraiseditgallantly，andpressedhislipsontheonespotlessfinger。
\"That’sgospeltruth。Andyouain’tthefirstwhitemantosayit。\"
\"Indeed，\"laughedHale。\"Whowastheother？\"
\"GeorgeLee!\"
CHAPTERVI
Thelaughterthatfollowedwasinterruptedbyasuddenbarkingofthedogsintheouterclearing。Zenobiaroselazilyandstrodetothewindow。ItrelievedHaleofcertainembarrassingreflectionssuggestedbyhercomment。
\"Efitain’tthatGod—forsakenfoolDickbringinguppassengersfromthesnow—boundupstageintheroad!IreckonI’VEgotsuthin’tosaytothat!\"ButthelaterappearanceoftheapologeticDick，withtheassurancethatthepartycarriedapermissionfromherfather，grantedatthelowerstationinviewofsuchanemergency，checkedheractiveopposition。\"That’slikePaw，\"shesoliloquizedaggrievedly；\"shuttin’usupandsettin’
dogsoneverybodyforaweek，andthenlettin’thewholestageservicepassthroughonedoorandoutatanother。Well，it’sHIS
houseandHISwhiskey，andtheykintakeit，buttheydon’tgetmetohelp’em。\"
Theycertainlywerenotaprepossessingorgood—naturedacquisitiontotheparty。Apartfromthenaturalantagonismwhich，onsuchoccasions，thoseinpossessionalwaysfeeltowardsthenew—comer，theywerestronglyinclinedtoresistthedissatisfiedquerulousnessandaggressiveattitudeofthesefreshapplicantsforhospitality。Themostoffensiveonewasapersonwhoappearedtoexercisesomeauthorityovertheothers。Hewasloud，assuming，anddressedwithvulgarpretension。HequicklydisposedhimselfinthechairvacatedbyZenobia，andcalledforsomeliquor。
\"Ireckonyou’llhevtohelpyourself，\"saidRawlinsdryly，asthesummonsmetwithnoresponse。\"Thereareonlytwowomeninthehouse，andIreckontheirhandsarefullalready。\"
\"Icallitd——dunciviltreatment，\"saidtheman，raisinghisvoice；\"andHennickerhadbettersingsmallerifhedon’twanthisolddenpulleddownsomeday。Heain’tanybetterthanmenthathevbeenpickedupaforenow。\"
\"Yououghtertoldhimthat，andmebbehe’dhevcomeoverwithyer，\"
returnedRawlins。\"He’samild，soft，easy—goingman，isHennicker!Ain’the，ColonelClinch？\"
ThecasualmentionofClinch’snameproducedtheeffectwhichthespeakerprobablyintended。ThestrangerstaredatClinch，who，apparentlyobliviousoftheconversation，wasblinkinghiscoldgrayeyesatthefire。Droppinghisaggressivetonetomerequerulousness，themansoughtthewhiskeydemijohn，andhelpedhimselfandhiscompanions。Fortifiedbyliquorhereturnedtothefire。
\"Ireckonyou’veheardaboutthisyerrobbery，Colonel，\"hesaid，addressingClinch，withanattemptateasyfamiliarity。
Withoutraisinghiseyesfromthefire，Clinchbrieflyassented，\"I
reckon。\"
\"I’mupyer，examiningintoit，fortheExpress。\"
\"Lostmuch？\"askedRawlins。
\"Notsomucheztheymighthev。ThatfoolHarkinshadahundredthousanddollarsingreenbackssealeduplikeanordinarypackageofathousanddollars，andgaveittoafriend，BillGuthrie，inthebanktopickoutsomeunlikelychapamongthepassengerstotakechargeofittoReno。Hewouldn’ttrusttheExpress。Ha!ha!\"
Thedead，oppressivesilencethatfollowedhisemptylaughtermadeitseemalmostartificial。RawlinsheldhisbreathandlookedatClinch。Hale，withtheinstinctsofarefined，sensitiveman，turnedhotwiththeembarrassmentClinchshouldhaveshown。Forthatgentleman，withoutliftinghiseyesfromthefire，andwithnoapparentchangeinhisdemeanor，lazilyasked——
\"Yedidn’tketchthenameo’thatpassenger？\"
\"Naturally，no!ForwhenGuthrieheardwhatwassaidaginhimhewouldn’tgivehisnameuntilheheardfromhim。\"
\"AndWHATwassaidaginhim？\"askedClinchmusingly。
\"Whatwouldbesaidaginamanthatgiveupthatsumo’money，likeachawoftobacco，fortheasking？Why，therewerebutthreemen，asfarezwekinhear，thatdidthejob。Andtherewerefourpassengersinside，armed，andthedriverandexpressmessengeronthebox。SixwererobbedbyTHREE!——theywereasweet—scentedlot!
Reckontheymusthevfeltmightysmall，forIheartheygotupandskedaddledfromthestationunderthepretextoflookin’fortherobbers。\"Helaughedagain，andthelaughwasnoisilyrepeatedbyhisfivecompanionsattheotherendoftheroom。
Hale，whohadforgottenthatthestrangerwasonlyechoingapartofhisowncriticismofeighthoursbefore，wasonthepointofrisingwithburningcheeksandangryindignation，whenthelazilyupliftedeyeofClinchcaughthis，andabsolutelyheldhimdownwithitsparalyzinganddeadlysignificance。Murderitselfseemedtolookfromthosecruellyquietandremorselessgraypupils。ForamomentheforgothisownrageinthisglimpseofClinch’simplacableresentment；foramomenthefeltathrillofpityforthewretchwhohadprovokedit。HeremainedmotionlessandfascinatedinhischairasthelazylidsclosedlikeasheathoverClinch’seyesagain。Rawlins，whohadprobablyreceivedthesameglanceofwarning，remainedequallystill。
\"Theyhaven’theardthelastofityet，youbet，\"continuedtheinfatuatedstranger。\"I’vegotalittlestatementhereforthenewspaper，\"headded，drawingsomepapersfromhispocket；\"suthin’
IjustrunoffinthecoachasIcamealong。Ireckonit’llshowthingsupinanewlight。It’stimethereshouldbesomechange。
Allthecussin’that’sbeenusuallydonehezbeenbythepassengersagintheexpressandstagecompanies。IproposethattheCompanyshoulddoalittlecussin’themselves。See？P’r’apsyoudon’tmindmyreadin’ittoye？It’sjustspicyenoughtosuitthemnewspaperchaps。\"
\"Goon，\"saidColonelClinchquietly。
Themanclearedhisthroat，withthepreliminaryposeofauthorship，andhisfivefriends，towhomthecompositionwasevidentlynotunfamiliar，assumedanticipatorysmiles。
\"Icallit’PrizePusillanimousPassengers。’Sortofrunseasyoffthetongue，youknow。
\"’ItnowappearsthatthesuccessofthelatestagecoachrobberyneartheSummitwaslargelyduetothepusillanimity——nottouseamoreseriousword’\"——Hestopped，andlookedexplanatorilytowardsClinch：\"Ye’llseeinaminitwhatI’mgettin’atbythatpusillanimityofthepassengersthemselves。’Itnowtranspiresthattherewereonlythreerobberswhoattackedthecoach，andthatalthoughpassengers，driver，andexpressmessengerwerefullyarmed，andweredoublethenumberoftheirassailants，notashotwasfired。Wemeannoreflectionsuponthewell—knowncourageofYubaBill，northeexperienceandcoolnessofBracyTibbetts，thecourteousexpressmessenger，bothofwhomhavesinceconfessedtohavebeenmorethanastonishedattheChristianandlamb—likesubmissionoftheinsiders。Amusingstoriesofsomelaughableyetsickeningincidentsoftheoccasion——suchasgrownmenkneelingintheroad，andofferingtostripthemselvescompletely，iftheirliveswereonlyspared；ofoneofthepassengershidingundertheseat，andonlybeingdislodgedbypullinghiscoat—tails；ofincrediblesumspromised，andevenoffersofmenialservice，forthepreservationoftheirwretchedcarcases——arereceivedwiththegreatestgusto；butweareinpossessionoffactswhichmayleadtomoreseriousaccusations。Althoughoneofthepassengersissaidtohavelostalargesumofmoneyintrustedtohim，whileattemptingwithbarefacedeffronterytoestablisharival\"carrying\"businessinoneoftheExpressCompany’sowncoaches——’I
callthatagoodpoint。\"Heinterruptedhimselftoallowtheunrestrainedapplauseofhisownparty。\"Don’tyou？\"
\"It’sjusth—ll，\"saidClinchmusingly。
\"’Yettheaffair，\"resumedthestrangerfromhismanuscript，\"’islockedupingreatandsuspiciousmystery。ThepresenceofJacksonN。Stanner，Esq。’（that’sme），’specialdetectiveagenttotheCompany，andhisstaffintown，isaguarantythatthemysterywillbethoroughlyprobed。’HedtoputthatintopleasetheCompany，\"
heagaindeprecatinglyexplained。\"’Weareindebtedtothisgentlemanforthefacts。’\"
\"Thepintyouwanttomakeinthatarticle，\"saidClinch，rising，butstilldirectinghisfaceandhisconversationtothefire，\"ezfarezIkenseeezthatnothreemenkinbackdownsixunlesstheybecowards，orarewillingtobebackeddown。\"
\"That’sthepointwhatIstartfrom，\"rejoinedStanner，\"andworkup。Ileaveittoyouefitain’tso。\"
\"Ican’tsayezIagreewithyou，\"saidtheColoneldryly。Heturned，andstillwithoutliftinghiseyeswalkedtowardsthedooroftheroomwhichZenobiahadentered。Thekeywasontheinside，butClinchgentlyopenedthedoor，removedthekey，andclosingthedooragainlockeditfromhisside。HaleandRawlinsfelttheirheartsbeatquickly；theothersfollowedClinch’sslowmovementsanddowncastmienwithamusedcuriosity。Afterlockingtheotheroutletfromtheroom，andputtingthekeysinhispocket，Clinchreturnedtothefire。Forthefirsttimeheliftedhiseyes；themannearesthimshrankbackinterror。
\"Iamtheman，\"hesaidslowly，takingdeliberatebreathbetweenhissentences，\"whogaveupthosegreenbackstotherobbers。Iamoneofthethreepassengersyouhavelampoonedinthatpaper，andthesegentlemenbesidemearetheothertwo。\"Hestoppedandlookedaroundhim。\"Youdon’tbelievethatthreemencanbackdownsix!Well，I’llshowyouhowitcanbedone。Morethanthat，I’llshowyouhowONEmancandoit；for，bythelivingG—d，ifyoudon’thandoverthatpaperI’llkillyouwhereyousit!I’llgiveyouuntilIcountten；ifoneofyoumovesheandyouaredeadmen——
butYOUfirst!\"
BeforehehadfinishedspeakingHaleandRawlinshadbothrisen，asifinconcert，withtheirweaponsdrawn。Halecouldnottellhoworwhyhehaddoneso，buthewasequallyconscious，withoutknowingwhy，offixinghiseyeononeoftheotherparty，andthatheshould，intheeventofanaffray，trytokillhim。Hedidnotattempttoreason；heonlyknewthatheshoulddohisbesttokillthatmanandperhapsothers。
\"One，\"saidClinch，liftinghisderringer，\"two——three——\"
\"Lookhere，Colonel——IswearIdidn’tknowitwasyou。Come——d——mit!Isay——seehere，\"stammeredStanner，withwhitecheeks，notdaringtoglanceforaidtohisstupefiedparty。
\"Four——five——six——\"
\"Wait!Here!\"Heproducedthepaperandthrewitonthefloor。
\"Pickitupandhandittome。Seven——eight——\"
Stannerhastilyscrambledtohisfeet，pickedupthepaper，andhandedittotheColonel。\"Iwasonlyjoking，Colonel，\"hesaid，withaforcedlaugh。
\"I’mgladtohearit。Butasthisjokeisinblackandwhite，youwouldn’tmindsayingsointhesamefashion。TakethatpenandinkandwriteasIdictate。’IcertifythatIamsatisfiedthattheabovestatementisabasecalumnyagainstthecharactersofRingwoodClinch，RobertRawlins，andJohnHale，passengers，andthatIdoherebyapologizetothesame。’Signit。That’lldo。
Nowlettherestofyourpartysignaswitnesses。\"
Theycompliedwithouthesitation；some，seizingtheopportunityoftreatingtheaffairasajoke，suggestedadrink。
\"Excuseme，\"saidClinchquietly，\"butezthishouseain’tbigenoughformeandthatman，andezI’vegotbusinessatWildCatStationwiththispaper，IthinkI’llgowithoutdrinkin’。\"Hetookthekeysfromhispocket，unlockedthedoors，andtakinguphisovercoatandrifleturnedasiftogo。
Rawlinsrosetofollowhim；Halealonehesitated。Therapidoccurrencesofthelasthalfhourgavehimnotimeforreflection。
Buthewasbynomeanssatisfiedofthelegalityofthelastacthehadaidedandabetted，althoughheadmitteditsrudejustice，andfelthewouldhavedonesoagain。Afearofthis，andaninstinctthathemightbeledintofurthercomplicationsifhecontinuedtoidentifyhimselfwithClinchandRawlins；thefactthattheyhadprofessedlyabandonedtheirquest，andthatitwasreallysupplantedbythepresenceofanauthorizedpartywhomtheyhadalreadycomeinconflictwith——allthisurgedhimtoremainbehind。
Ontheotherhand，theapparentdesertionofhiscomradesatthelastmomentwasopposedbothtohissenseofhonorandthelikinghehadtakentothem。Buthereflectedthathehadalreadyshownhisactivepartisanship，thathecouldbeoflittleservicetothematWildCatStation，andwouldbeonlyincreasingthedistancefromhishome；andaboveall，animpatientlongingforindependentactionfinallydecidedhim。\"IthinkI’llstayhere，\"hesaidtoClinch，\"unlessyouwantme。\"
Clinchcastaswiftandmeaningglanceattheenemy，butlookedapproval。\"Keepyoureyesskinned，andyou’regoodforadozenof’em，\"hesaidsottovoce，andthenturnedtoStanner。\"I’mgoingtotakethispapertoWildCat。IfyouwanttocommunicatewithmehereafteryouknowwhereIamtobefound，unless——\"hesmiledgrimly——\"you’dliketoseemeoutsideforafewminutesbeforeI
go？\"
\"ItisamatterthatconcernstheStageCompany，notme，\"saidStanner，withanattempttoappearathisease。
HaleaccompaniedClinchandRawlinsthroughthekitchentothestables。Theostler，Dick，hadalreadyreturnedtotherescueofthesnow—boundcoach。
\"Ishouldn’tliketoleavemanymenalonewiththatcrowd，\"saidClinch，pressingHale’shand；\"andIwouldn’thaveallowedyourstayingbehindefIdidn’tknowIcouldbetmypileonyou。Yourofferin’tostayjustputsacleanfinishonit。Lookyer，Hale，I
didn’tcottonmuchtoyouatfirst；butefyoueverwantafriend，callonRingwoodClinch。\"
\"Thesamehere，oldman，\"saidRawlins，extendinghishandasheappearedfromahurriedconferencewiththeoldwomanatthewoodshed，\"andtrusttoZeenietogiveyouahintefthere’sanythin’underhandedgoin’on。Solong。\"
Halfinclinedtoresentthisimpliedsuggestionofprotection，yethalfpleasedattheideaofaconfidencewiththehandsomegirlhehadseen，Halereturnedtotheroom。Awhispereddiscussionamongthepartyceasedonhisentering，andanawkwardsilencefollowed，whichHaledidnotattempttobreakashequietlytookhisseatagainbythefire。HewaspresentlyconfrontedbyStanner，whowithanaffectationofeasyfamiliaritycrossedovertothehearth。
\"TheoldKernel’sd——dpepperyandhightonedwhenhe’sgotalittlemorethanhisreg’larthreefingerso’cornjuice，eh？\"
\"Imustbegyoutounderstanddistinctly，Mr。Stanner，\"saidHale，withareturnofhishabitualprecisionofstatement，\"thatI
regardanyslightingallusiontothegentlemanwhohasjustleftnotonlyasinexceedinglybadtastecomingfromYOU，butveryoffensivetomyself。Ifyoumeantoimplythathewasundertheinfluenceofliquor，itismydutytoundeceiveyou；hewassoperfectlyinpossessionofhisfacultiesastoexpressnotonlyhisownbutMYopinionofyourconduct。Youmustalsoadmitthathewasdiscriminatingenoughtoshowhisobjectiontoyourcompanybyleavingit。Iregretthatcircumstancesdonotmakeitconvenientformetoexercisethatprivilege；butifIamobligedtoputupwithyourpresenceinthisroom，Istronglyinsistthatitisnotmadeunendurablewiththeadditionofyourconversation。\"
TheeffectofthisdeliberateandpassionlessdeclarationwasmorediscomposingtothepartythanClinch’sfury。Utterlyunaccustomedtotheideasandlanguagesuddenlyconfrontingthem，theywereunabletodeterminewhetheritwastherealexpressionofthespeaker，orwhetheritwasavaguebadinageoraffectationtowhichanyreplywouldinvolvetheminridicule。Inacountryterrorizedbypracticaljoking，theydidnotdoubtbutthatthiswasanewformofhoaxingcalculatedtoprovokesomeresponsethatwouldconstitutethemasvictims。TheimmediateeffectuponthemwasthatcompletesilenceinregardtohimselfthatHaledesired。Theydrewtogetheragainandconversedinwhispers，whileHale，withhiseyesfixedonthefire，gavehimselfuptosomewhatlateanduselessreflection。
Hecouldscarcelyrealizehisposition。Forhoweverhemightlookatit，withinaspaceoftwelvehourshehadnotonlychangedsomeofhismostcherishedopinions，buthehadactedinaccordancewiththatchangeinawaythatmadeitseemalmostimpossibleforhimevertorecant。Intheinterestsoflawandorderhehadengagedinanunlawfulanddisorderlypursuitofcriminals，andhadactuallycomeinconflictnotwiththecriminals，butwiththeonlypartyapparentlyauthorizedtopursuethem。Morethanthat，hewasfindinghimselfcommittedtoacertainsympathywiththecriminals。
Twenty—fourhoursago，ifanyonehadtoldhimthathewouldhavecondonedanillegalactforitsabstractjustice，orassistedtocommitanillegalactforthesamepurpose，hewouldhavefelthimselfinsulted。Thatheknewhewouldnotnowfeelitasaninsultperplexedhimstillmore。Inthesecircumstancesthefactthathewasseparatedfromhisfamily，andasitwerefromallhispastlifeandtraditions，byachanceaccident，didnotdisturbhimgreatly；indeed，hewasforthefirsttimealittledoubtfuloftheirprobablecriticismonhisinconsistency，andwasbynomeansinahurrytosubjecthimselftoit。
Liftinghiseyes，hewassuddenlyawarethatthedoorleadingtothekitchenwasslowlyopening。HehadthoughthehearditcreakonceortwiceduringhisdeliberatereplytoStanner。Itwasevidentlymovingnowsoastoattracthisattention，withoutdisturbingtheothers。ItpresentlyopenedsufficientlywidetoshowthefaceofZeenie，who，withagestureofcautiontowardshiscompanions，beckonedhimtojoinher。Herosecarelesslyasifgoingout，and，puttingonhishat，enteredthekitchenastheretreatingfigureoftheyounggirlglidedlightlytowardsthestables。Sheascendedafewopenstepsasiftoahay—loft，butstoppedbeforealowdoor。Pushingitopen，sheprecededhimintoasmallroom，apparentlyundertheroof，whichscarcelyallowedhertostandupright。Bythelightofastablelanternhangingfromabeamhesawthat，thoughpoorlyfurnished，itboresomeevidenceoffemininetasteandhabitation。Motioningtotheonlychair，sheseatedherselfontheedgeofthebed，withherhandsclaspingherkneesinherfamiliarattitude。Herfaceboretracesofrecentagitation，andhereyeswereshiningwithtears。Bythecloserlightofthelanternhewassurprisedtofinditwasfromlaughter。
\"Ireckonedyou’dberightlonelydowntherewiththatStannercrowd，particklerlyafterthatlittlespeecho’your’n，soIseztoMawI’dgetyouupyerforaspell。MawandIheerdyouexhort’em!Mawallowedyouwoztalkin’afurrin’tongueallalong，butI——sakesalive!——Ihedtohumpmyselftokeepfrombustin’intoayellwhenyerjistdrawedthemWebster—unabridgedsentenceson’em。\"Shestoppedandrockedbackwardsandforwardswithalaughthat，subduedbytheproximityoftheroofandthefearofbeingoverheard，wasbynomeansunmusical。\"I’lltellyewhotgotme，though!Thatpartcommencing，’SuckamstancesoverwhichI’venocontroul。’\"
\"Oh，come!Ididn’tsaythat，\"interruptedHale，laughing。
\"’Don’tmakeitconvenientformetoexercisetheprivilegeofkickin’yerouttothatextent，’\"shecontinued；\"’butifIcannotdispensewithyourroom，theleastIcansayisthatit’sad——dsightbetterthanyourcompany——’orsuthin’likethat!Andthenthewayyoumindedyourstops，andletyourvoiceriseandfalljustezeasyezifyouwosaFirstReaderinlargetype。Why，theKernelwasn’tnowhere。HIScussin’didn’tcomewithinamileo’
yourn。ThatStannerjistturnedyaller。\"
\"I’mafraidyouarelaughingatme，\"saidHale，notknowingwhethertobepleasedorvexedatthegirl’samusement。
\"IreckonI’mtheonlyonethatdaredoit，then，\"saidthegirlsimply。\"TheKernelsezthewayyouturnedroundafterhe’ddonehiscussin’，andsaidyerbelievedyou’dstayandtaketheresponsibilityofthewholething——anddid，inthatkam，soft，did—
anybody—speak—to—mestyle——wastheneatestthinghe’dseenyet。
No!MawsaysIain’tmuchonmanners，butIknowamanwhenIseehim。\"
ForaninstantHalegavehimselfuptothedeliciousflatteryofunexpected，unintended，andapparentlyuninterestedcompliment。
Becomingatlastalittleembarrassedunderthefrankcuriosityofthegirl’sdarkeyes，hechangedthesubject。
\"Doyoualwayscomeupherethroughthestables？\"heasked，glancingroundtheroom，whichwasevidentlyherown。
\"Ireckon，\"sheansweredhalfabstractedly。\"There’saladderdownthartoMaw’sroom——\"pointingtoatrapdoorbesidethebroadchimneythatservedasawall——\"butit’shandiertheotherway，andnearerthebossesifyouwanttogetawayquick。\"
Thispalpablesuggestion——borneoutbywhatherememberedoftheotherdomesticdetails——thatthehousehadbeenplannedwithreferencetosuddenforayorescapereawakenedhisformeruneasyreflections。Zeenie，whohadbeenwatchinghisface，added，\"It’snoslouch，whenb’arorpaintershangroundnightsandstampedethestock，tobeabletoswingyourselfontoabosswheneveryouheararowgoingonoutside。\"
\"DoyoumeanthatYOU——\"
\"PawUSED，andIdoNOW，senseI’vecomeintotheroom。\"Shepointedtoanondescriptgarment，halfcloak，halfhabit，hangingonthewall。\"I’vebeenouterbedandonPitchpine’sbackasfarezthetrailfiveminutesarterIheardthefirstbellow。\"
Haleregardedherwithundisguisedastonishment。TherewasnothingatallAmazonianorhorseyinhermanners，norwasthereeventherobustphysicalcontourthatmighthavebeendevelopedthroughsuchexperiences。Onthecontrary，sheseemedtobelazilyeffeminateinbodyandmind。Heedlessofhiscriticalsurveyofher，shebeckonedhimtodrawhischairnearer，and，lookingintohiseyes，said——
\"WhateverpossessedYOUtotaketohuntin’men？\"
Halewasstaggeredbythequestion，butneverthelessendeavoredtoexplain。Buthewassurprisedtofindthathisexplanationappearedstiltedeventohimself，and，hecouldnotdoubt，wasutterlyincomprehensibletothegirl。Shenoddedherhead，however，andcontinued——
\"Thenyouhaven’tanythin’agin’George？\"
\"Idon’tknowGeorge，\"saidHale，smiling。\"Myproceedingwasagainstthehighwayman。\"
\"Well，HEwasthehighwayman。\"
\"Imean，itwastheprincipleIobjectedto——aprinciplethatI
considerhighlydangerous。\"
\"WellHEistheprincipal，fortheothersonlyHELPED，Ireckon，\"
saidZeeniewithasigh，\"andIreckonheISdangerous。\"
Halesawitwasuselesstoexplain。Thegirlcontinued——
\"WhatmadeyoustayhereinsteadofgoingonwiththeKernel？
Therewassuthin’elsebesidesyourwantingtomakethatStannertakewater。Whatisit？\"
Alightsenseofthepropinquityofbeauty，ofherconfidence，oftheirisolation，oftheeloquenceofherdarkeyes，atfirsttemptedHaletoareplyofsimplegallantry；agraverconsiderationofthesamecircumstancesfrozeituponhislips。
\"Idon’tknow，\"hereturnedawkwardly。
\"Well，I’lltellyou，\"shesaid。\"Youdidn’tcottontotheKernelandRawlinsmuchmorethanyoudidtoStanner。Theyain’tyourkind。\"
InhisembarrassmentHaleblundereduponthethoughthehadhonorablyavoided。
\"Suppose，\"hesaid，withaconstrainedlaugh，\"Ihadstayedtoseeyou。\"
\"IreckonIain’tyourkind，neither，\"sherepliedpromptly。Therewasamomentarypausewhensheroseandwalkedtothechimney。
\"It’sveryquietdownthere，\"shesaid，stoopingandlisteningovertheroughly—boardedfloorthatformedtheceilingoftheroombelow。\"Iwonderwhat’sgoingon。\"
Inthebeliefthatthiswasadelicatehintforhisreturntothepartyhehadleft，Halerose，butthegirlpassedhimhurriedly，and，openingthedoor，castaquickglanceintothestablebeyond。
\"JustasIreckoned——thehorsesaregonetoo。They’veskedaddled，\"
shesaidblankly。
Haledidnotreply。Inhisembarrassmentamomentagotheideaoftakinganequallysuddendeparturehadflasheduponhim。Shouldhetakethisasajustificationofthatimpulse，orhow？Hestoodirresolutelygazingatthegirl，whoturnedandbegantodescendthestairssilently。Hefollowed。Whentheyreachedthelowerroomtheyfounditastheyhadexpected——deserted。
\"IhopeIdidn’tdrivethemaway，\"saidHale，withanuneasylookatthetroubledfaceofthegirl。\"ForIreallyhadanideaofgoingmyselfamomentago。\"
Sheremainedsilent，gazingoutofthewindow。Then，turningwithaslightshrugofhershoulders，saidhalfdefiantly：\"What’stheusenow？Oh，Maw!theStannercrowdhasvamosedtheranch，andthisyerstrangerkalkilatestostay!\"
CHAPTERVII
AweekhadpassedatEagle’sCourt——aweekofmingledcloudsandsunshinebyday，ofrainoverthegreenplateauandsnowonthemountainbynight。Eachmorninghadbroughtitsfreshgreennesstothewinter—girtdomain，andafreshcoatofdazzlingwhitetothebarrierthatseparateditsdwellersfromtheworldbeyond。Therewaslittlechangeintheencompassingwalloftheirprison；ifanything，thesnowycircleroundthemseemedtohavedrawnitslinesnearerdaybyday。Theimmediateresultofthisrestrictedlimithadbeentoconfinetherangeofcattletothemeadowsnearerthehouse，andatasafedistancefromthefringeofwildernessnowinvadedbytheprowlingtreadofpredatoryanimals。
Nevertheless，thetwofiguresloungingontheslopeatsunsetgaveverylittleindicationofanyseriousqualityinthesituation。
Indeed，sofarasappearanceswereconcerned，Kate，whowasreturningfromanafternoonstrollwithFalkner，exhibited，withfeminineinconsistency，adecidedreturntotheworldoffashionandconventionalityapparentlyjustasshewaseffectuallyexcludedfromit。Shehadnotonlydiscardedherwhitedressasaconcessiontothepracticalevidenceofthesurroundingwinter，butshehadalsobroughtoutafeatherhatandsablemuffwhichhadoncegracedafashionablesuburbofBoston。EvenFalknerhadexchangedhisslouchhatandpicturesqueserapeforabeaverovercoatandfurcapofHale’swhichhadbeenpresseduponhimbyKate，undertheexcuseoftheexigenciesoftheseason。Withinastone’sthrowofthethicket，turbulentwiththesavageforcesofnature，theywalkedwiththeabstractionofpeoplehearingonlytheirownvoices；inthefaceofthesolemnpeaksclothedwithwhiteausteritytheytalkedgravelyofdress。
\"Idon’tmeantosay，\"saidKatedemurely，\"thatyou’retogiveuptheserapeentirely；youcanwearitonrainynightsandwhenyourideoverherefromyourfriend’shousetospendtheevening——forthesakeofoldtimes，\"sheadded，withanunconsciousairofreferringtoanalreadyantiquatedfriendship；\"butyoumustadmitit’salittletoogorgeousandtheatricalforthesunlightofdayandthepublichighway。\"
\"Butwhyshouldthatmakeitwrong，iftheexperienceofapeoplehasshownittobeagarmentbestfittedfortheirwantsandrequirements？\"saidFalknerargumentatively。
\"Butyouarenotoneofthosepeople，\"saidKate，\"andthatmakesallthedifference。Youlookdifferentlyandactdifferently，sothatthereissomethingirreconcilablebetweenyourclothesandyouthatmakesyoulookodd。\"
\"Andtolookodd，accordingtoyourcivilizedprejudices，istobewrong，\"saidFalknerbitterly。
\"Itistoseemdifferentfromwhatonereallyis——whichISwrong。
Now，youareaminingsuperintendent，youtellme。Thenyoudon’twanttolooklikeaSpanishbrigand，asyoudointhatserape。I
amsureifyouhadriddenuptoastage—coachwhileIwasinit，I’dhavehandedyoumywatchandpursewithoutaword。There!youarenotoffended？\"sheadded，withalaugh，whichdidnot，however，concealacertainearnestness。\"IsupposeIoughttohavesaidI
wouldhavegivenitgladlytosucharomanticfigure，andperhapshavegotoutanddancedasarabandorbolerowithyou——ifthatisthethingtodonowadays。Well!\"shesaid，afteradangerouspause，\"considerthatI’vesaidit。\"
Hehadbeenwalkingalittlebeforeher，withhisfaceturnedtowardsthedistantmountain。Suddenlyhestoppedandfacedher。
\"Youwouldhavegivenenoughofyourtimetothehighwayman，MissScott，aswouldhaveenabledyoutoidentifyhimforthepolice——
andnomore。Likeyourbrother，youwouldhavebeenwillingtosacrificeyourselfforthebenefitofthelawsofcivilizationandgoodorder。\"
Ifadenialtothisassertioncouldhavebeenexpressedwithouttheuseofspeech，itwascertainlytransparentinthefaceandeyesoftheyounggirlatthatmoment。IfFalknerhadbeenlessself—
conscioushewouldhaveseenitplainly。ButKateonlyburiedherfaceinherliftedmuff，slightlyraisedherprettyshoulders，and，droppinghertremulouseyelids，walkedon。\"Itseemsapity，\"shesaid，afterapause，\"thatwecannotpreserveourownmiserableexistencewithouttakingsomethingfromothers——sometimesevenalife!\"Hestarted。\"Andit’shorridtohavetoremindyouthatyouhaveyettokillsomethingfortheinvalid’ssupper，\"shecontinued。\"Isawahareinthefieldyonder。\"
\"Youmeanthatjackassrabbit？\"hesaid，abstractedly。
\"Whatyouplease。It’sapityyoudidn’ttakeyourguninsteadofyourrifle。\"
\"Ibroughttherifleforprotection。\"
\"Andashotgunisonlyaggressive，Isuppose？\"
Falknerlookedatherforamoment，andthen，astheharesuddenlystartedacrosstheopenahundredyardsaway，broughttherifletohisshoulder。Alonginterval——asitseemedtoKate——elapsed；theanimalappearedtobealreadysafelyoutofrange，whentheriflesuddenlycracked；thehareboundedintheairlikeaball，anddroppedmotionless。Thegirllookedatthemarksmaninundisguisedadmiration。\"Isitquitedead？\"shesaidtimidly。
\"Itneverknewwhatstruckit。\"
\"Itcertainlylookslessbrutalthanshootingitwithashotgun，asJohndoes，andthennotkillingitoutright，\"saidKate。\"I
hatewhatiscalledsportandsportsmen，butarifleseems——\"
\"What？\"saidFalkner。
\"More——gentlemanly。\"
Shehadraisedherprettyheadintheair，and，withherhandshadinghereyes，waslookingaroundtheclearether，andsaidmeditatively，\"Iwonder——nomatter。\"
\"Whatisit？\"
\"Oh，nothing。\"
\"Itissomething，\"saidFalkner，withanamusedsmile，reloadinghisrifle。
\"Well，youoncepromisedmeaneagle’sfeatherformyhat。Isn’tthatthinganeagle？\"
\"Iamafraidit’sonlyahawk。\"
\"Well，thatwilldo。Shootthat!\"
Hereyesweresparkling。Falknerwithdrewhisownwithaslightsmile，andraisedhisriflewithprovokingdeliberation。
\"Areyouquitesureit’swhatyouwant？\"heaskeddemurely。
\"Yes——quick!\"
Nevertheless，itwassomeminutesbeforetheriflecrackedagain。
Thewheelingbirdsuddenlystruckthewindwithitswingsaslant，andthenfelllikeaplummetatadistancewhichshowedthedifficultyofthefeat。Falknerstartedfromhersidebeforethebirdreachedtheground。Hereturnedtoherafteralapseofafewmoments，bearingatrailingwinginhishand。\"Youshallmakeyourchoice，\"hesaidgayly。
\"Areyousureitwaskilledoutright？\"
\"Headshotoff，\"saidFalknerbriefly。
\"Andbesides，thefallwouldhavekilledit，\"saidKateconclusively。
\"It’slovely。Isupposetheycallyouaverygoodshot？\"
\"They——who？\"
\"Oh!thepeopleyouknow——yourfriends，andtheirsisters。\"
\"GeorgeshootsbetterthanIdo，andhashadmoreexperience。I’veseenhimdothatwithapistol。Ofcoursenotsuchalongshot，butamoredifficultone。\"
Katedidnotreply，butherfaceshowedaconvictionthatasanartisticandgentlemanlyperformanceitwasprobablyinferiortotheoneshehadwitnessed。Falkner，whohadpickeduptheharealso，againtookhisplacebyherside，astheyturnedtowardsthehouse。
\"Doyourememberthedayyoucame，whenwewerewalkinghere，youpointedoutthatrockonthemountainwherethepooranimalshadtakenrefugefromthesnow？\"saidKatesuddenly。
\"Yes，\"answeredFalkner；\"theyseemtohavediminished。Iamafraidyouwereright；theyhaveeithereateneachotherorescaped。Letushopethelatter。\"
\"Ilookedatthemwithaglasseveryday，\"saidKate，\"andthey’vegotdowntoonlyfour。There’sabearandthatshabby，over—growncatyoucallaCalifornialion，andawolf，andacreaturelikeafoxorasquirrel。\"
\"It’sapitythey’renotallofakind，\"saidFalkner。
\"Why？\"
\"There’dbenothingtokeepthemfrombeingcomfortabletogether。\"
\"Onthecontrary，Ishouldthinkitwouldbesimplyawfultobeshutupentirelywithone’sownkind。\"
\"Thenyoubelieveitispossibleforthem，withtheirdifferentnaturesandhabits，tobehappytogether？\"saidFalkner，withsuddenearnestness。
\"Ibelieve，\"saidKatehurriedly，\"thatthebearandthelionfindthefoxandthewolfveryamusing，andthatthefoxandthewolf——\"
\"Well？\"saidFalkner，stoppingshort。
\"Well，thefoxandthewolfwillcarryawayamuchbetteropinionofthelionandbearthantheyhadbefore。\"
Theyhadreachedthehousebythistime，andforsomeoccultreasonKatedidnotimmediatelyentertheparlor，whereshehadlefthersisterandtheinvalid，whohadalreadybeenpromotedtoasofaandacushionbythewindow，butproceededdirectlytoherownroom。
AsamanoeuvretoavoidmeetingMrs。Hale，itwasscarcelynecessary，forthatladywasalreadyinadvanceofheronthestaircase，asifshehadlefttheparlorforamomentbeforetheyenteredthehouse。Falkner，too，wouldhavepreferredthecompanyofhisownthoughts，butLee，apparentlytheonlyunpreoccupied，all—pervading，andboyishlyalertspiritintheparty，hailedhimfromwithin，andobligedhimtopresenthimselfonthethresholdoftheparlorwiththehareandhawk’swinghewasstillcarrying。
Eyingthelatterwithaffectedconcern，Leesaidgravely：\"Ofcourse，ICANeatit，Ned，andIdaresayit’sthebestpartofthefowl，andthehareisn’tmorethanenoughforthewomen，butIhadnoideaweweresoreduced。Threehoursandahalfgunning，andonlyonehareandahawk’swing。It’sterrible。\"
Perceivingthathisfriendwasalone，Falknerdroppedhisburdeninthehallandstroderapidlytohisside。\"Lookhere，George，wemust，Imustleavethisplaceatonce。It’snousetalking；Icanstandthissortofthingnolonger。\"
\"NorcanI，withthedooropen。Shutit，andsaywhatyouwantquick，beforeMrs。Halecomesback。Haveyoufoundatrail？\"
\"No，no；that’snotwhatImean。\"
\"Well，itstrikesmeitoughttobe，ifyouexpecttogetaway。
HaveyouproposedtoBeaconStreet，andshethinksitratherprematureonaweek’sacquaintance？\"
\"No；but——\"
\"ButyouWILL，youmean？DON’T，justyet。\"
\"ButIcannotlivethisperpetuallie。\"
\"Thatdepends。Idon’tknowHOWyou’relyingwhenI’mnotwithyou。Ifyou’rewalkingroundwiththatgirl，singinghymnsandtalkingofyourclassinSunday—school，orifyou’reinsinuatingthatyou’reamillionaire，andthinkofbuyingtheplaceforasummerhotel，Ishouldsayyou’dbetterquitthatkindoflying。
But，ontheotherhand，Idon’tseethenecessityofyourdancingroundherewithashotgun，andyellingforHarkins’sblood，orcountingthatpackageofgreenbacksinthelapofMissScott，tobetruthful。Itseemstomethereoughttobesomethingbetweenthetwo。\"
\"But，George，don’tyouthink——youareonsuchgoodtermswithMrs。
Haleandhermother——thatyoumighttellthemthewholestory？
Thatis，tellitinyourownway；theywillhearanythingfromyou，andbelieveit。\"
\"Thankyou；butsupposeIdon’tbelieveinlying，either？\"
\"YouknowwhatImean!Youhaveaway，d——nit，ofmakingeverythingseemlikeamatterofcourse，andthemostnaturalthinggoing。\"
\"Well，supposeIdid。Areyoupreparedfortheworst？\"
Falknerwassilentforamoment，andthenreplied，\"Yes，anythingwouldbebetterthanthissuspense。\"
\"Idon’tagreewithyou。Thenyouwouldbewillingtohavethemforgiveus？\"
\"Idon’tunderstandyou。\"
\"Imeanthattheirforgivenesswouldbetheworstthingthatcouldhappen。Lookhere，Ned。Stopamoment；listenatthatdoor。Mrs。
Halehasthetreadofanangel，withthepervadingcapacityofacat。Nowlisten!Idon’tpretendtobeinlovewithanybodyhere，butifIwereIshouldhardlytakeadvantageofawoman’shelplessnessandsolitudewithasensationalstoryaboutmyself。
It’snotgivingherafairshow。Youknowshewon’tturnyououtofthehouse。\"
\"No，\"saidFalkner，reddening；\"butIshouldexpecttogoatonce，andthatwouldbemyonlyexcusefortellingher。\"
\"Go!where？Inyourpreoccupationwiththatgirlyouhaven’tevenfoundthetrailbywhichManuelescaped。Doyouintendtocampoutsidethehouse，andmakeeyesatherwhenshecomestothewindow？\"
\"BecauseyouthinknothingofflirtingwithMrs。Hale，\"saidFalknerbitterly，\"youcarelittle——\"
\"MydearNed，\"saidLee，\"thefactthatMrs。Halehasahusband，andknowsthatshecan’tmarryme，putsusonequalterms。Nothingthatshecouldlearnaboutmehereafterwouldmakeaflirtationwithmeanylesswrongthanitwouldbenow，ormakeherseemmoreavictim。CanyousaythesameofyourselfandthatPuritangirl？\"
\"Butyoudidnotadvisemetokeepalooffromher；onthecontrary，you——\"
\"Ithoughtyoumightmakethebestofthesituation，andpayhersomeattention，BECAUSEyoucouldnotgoanyfurther。\"
\"YouthoughtIwasutterlyheartlessandselfish，like——\"
\"Ned!\"
Falknerwalkedrapidlytothefireplace，andreturned。
\"Forgiveme，George——I’mafool——andanungratefulone。\"
Leedidnotreplyatonce，althoughhetookandretainedthehandFalknerhadimpulsivelyextended。\"Promiseme，hesaidslowly，afterapause，\"thatyouwillsaynothingyettoeitherofthesewomen。Iaskitforyourownsake，andthisgirl’s，notformine。
If，onthecontrary，youaretemptedtodosofromanyQuixoticideaofhonor，rememberthatyouwillonlyprecipitatesomethingthatwillobligeyou，fromthatsamesenseofhonor，toseparatefromthegirlforever。\"
\"Idon’tunderstand。\"
\"Enough!\"saidhe，withaquickreturnofhisoldrecklessgayety。