sofa,albeittohimitwasabankinabowerofenchantment。Thenshesaid,withadorablereproachfulness,\"Youdon’taskwhatIdidwiththebody。\"
Mr。EdwardBricestarted。Hewasyoung,andunfamiliarwiththeevasiveexpansivenessofthefemalemindatsuchsuprememoments。
\"Thebody——oh,yes——certainly。\"
\"Iburieditmyself——itwassuthintooawful!——andthegangwouldhavebeensuretohavefoundit,andtheemptybelt。IburnedTHAT。Sothatnobodyknowsnothin’。\"
Itwasnotatimeforstrictlygrammaticalnegatives,andIamafraidthatthegirl’scharacteristicallyfamiliarspeech,evenwhenpatheticallycorrectedhereandtherebytheinfluenceoftheconvent,endearedherthemoretohim。Andwhenshesaid,\"Andnow,Mr。EdwardBrice,sitoveratthatendofthesofyandlet’stalk,\"theytalked。Theytalkedforanhour,moreorlesscontinuously,untiltheyweresurprisedbyadiscreetcoughandtheentranceofMrs。Tarbox。Thentherewasmoretalk,andthediscoverythatMr。Bricewaslongdueattheoffice。
\"Yemightdropin,nowandthen,wheneveryefeellikeit,andFloisathome,\"suggestedMrs。Tarboxatparting。
Mr。BriceDIDdropinfrequentlyduringthenextmonth。OnoneoftheseoccasionsMr。Tarboxaccompaniedhimtothedoor。\"Andnow——
ezeverythingissettledandinorder,Mr。Brice,andefyoushouldbewantin’tosayanythingaboutittoyourbossesattheoffice,yemaymentionMYnameezFloDimwood’ssecondcousin,andsayI’madepositorintheirbank。And,\"withgreaterdeliberation,\"efanythingatanytimeshouldbethrownupatyeformarryin’anieceo’SnapshotHarry’s,yemightmention,keerlesslike,thatSnapshotHarry,underthenameo’HenryJ。Dimwood,hasheldsharesintheiroldbankforyears!\"
ATREASUREOFTHEREDWOODS
PARTI
Mr。JackFlemingstoppedsuddenlybeforealifelessanddecayingredwood-treewithanexpressionofdisgustandimpatience。Itwastheverytreehehadpassedonlyanhourbefore,andhenowknewhehadbeendescribingthatmysteriousandhopelesscirclefamiliarenoughtothoselostinthewoods。
Therewasnomistakingthetree,withitsonebrokenbranchwhichdependedatananglelikethearmofasemaphore;nordiditrelievehismindtoreflectthathismishapwaspartlyduetohisownfoolishabstraction。Hewasreturningtocampfromaneighboringminingtown,andwhileindulgingintheusualday-
dreamsofayouthfulprospector,haddeviatedfromhispathinattemptingtomakeashortcutthroughtheforest。Hehadlostthesun,hisonlyguide,inthethicklyinterlacedboughsabovehim,whichsuffusedthoughthelongcolumnarvaultonlyavague,melancholytwilight。Hehadevidentlypenetratedsomeunknownseclusion,absolutelyprimevalanduntrodden。Thethicklayersofdecayingbarkandthedesiccateddustofagesdeadenedhisfootfallandinvestedthegloomwithaprofoundsilence。
Ashestoodforamomentortwo,irresolute,hisear,bythistimeattunedtothestillness,caughtthefaintbutdistinctlapandtrickleofwater。Hewashotandthirsty,andturnedinstinctivelyinthatdirection。Averyfewpacesbroughthimtoafallentree;
atthefootofitsupturnedrootsgurgledthespringwhoseupwellingstreamhadslowlybutpersistentlyloosenedtheirholdonthesoil,andworkedtheirruin。Apoolofcoolandclearwater,formedbythedisruptionofthesoil,overflowed,andafterafewyardssankagaininthesoddenfloor。
Ashedrankandbathedhisheadandhandsinthissylvanbasin,henoticedthewhiteglitterofaquartzledgeinitsdepths,andwasconsiderablysurprisedandrelievedtofind,hardby,anactualoutcropofthatrockthroughthethickcarpetofbarkanddust。
Thisbetokenedthathewasneartheedgeoftheforestorsomerockyopening。Hefanciedthatthelightgrewclearerbeyond,andthepresenceofafewfrondsoffernsconfirmedhiminthebeliefthathewasapproachingadifferentbeltofvegetation。Presentlyhesawtheverticalbeamsofthesunagainpiercingtheopeninginthedistance。Withthisprospectofspeedydeliverancefromtheforestatlastsecure,hedidnothurryforward,butonthecontrarycoollyretracedhisfootstepstothespringagain。Thefactwasthattheinstinctsandhopesoftheprospectorwerestronglydominantinhim,andhavingnoticedthequartzledgeandthecontiguousoutcrop,hedeterminedtoexaminethemmoreclosely。
Hehadstilltimetofindhiswayhome,anditmightnotbesoeasytopenetratethewildernessagain。Unfortunately,hehadneitherpick,pan,norshovelwithhim,butaverycursorydisplacementofthesoilaroundthespringandattheoutcropwithhishandsshowedhimtheusualredsoilanddecomposedquartzwhichconstitutedan\"indication。\"Yetnoneknewbetterthanhimselfhowdisappointingandillusiveitsresultsoftenwere,andheregrettedthathehadnotapantoenablehimtotestthesoilbywashingitatthespring。Iftherewereonlyaminer’scabinhandy,hecouldeasilyborrowwhathewanted。Itwasjusttheusualluck,——\"thethingsamanseeswhenhehasn’thisgunwithhim!\"
Heturnedimpatientlyawayagaininthedirectionoftheopening。
Whenhereachedit,hefoundhimselfonarockyhillsideslopingtowardasmallgreenvalley。Alightsmokecurledaboveaclumpofwillows;itwasfromthechimneyofalowdwelling,butasecondglancetoldhimthatitwasnominer’scabin。Therewasalargerclearingaroundthehouse,andsomerudeattemptatcultivationinaroughlyfencedarea。Nevertheless,hedeterminedtotryhisluckinborrowingapickandpanthere;attheworsthecouldinquirehiswaytothemainroadagain。
Ahurriedscrambledownthehillbroughthimtothedwelling,——aramblingadditionofshedstotheusuallogcabin。Buthewassurprisedtofindthatitsexterior,andindeedthepalingsofthefencearoundit,werecoveredwiththestretchedanddryingskinsofanimals。Thepeltsofbear,panther,wolf,andfoxwereintermingledwithsquirrelandwildcatskins,andthedisplayedwingsofeagle,hawk,andkingfisher。Therewasnotrailleadingtoorfromthecabin;itseemedtohavebeenlostinthisopeningoftheencompassingwoodsandleftaloneandsolitary。
Thebarkingofacoupleoftetheredhoundsatlastbroughtafiguretothedoorofthenearestlean-toshed。Itseemedtobethatofayounggirl,butitwascladingarmentssoridiculouslylargeanddisproportionatethatitwasdifficulttotellherpreciseage。A
calicodresswaspinnedupattheskirt,andtightlygirtatthewaistbyanapron——solongthatonecornerhadtobetuckedinattheapronstringdiagonally,tokeepthewearerfromtreadingonit。Anenormoussunbonnetofyellownankeencompletelyconcealedherheadandface,butallowedtwoknottedandtwistedbrowntailsofhairtoescapeunderitsfrilledcapebehind。Shewasevidentlyengagedinsomeculinarywork,andstillheldalargetinbasinorpanshehadbeencleaningclaspedtoherbreast。
Fleming’seyeglancedatitcovetously,ignoringthefigurebehindit。Buthewasdiplomatic。
\"Ihavelostmywayinthewoods。Canyoutellmeinwhatdirectionthemainroadlies?\"
Shepointedasmallredhandapparentlyinthedirectionhehadcome。\"Straightoverthar——acrossthehill。\"
Flemingsighed。Hehadbeenmakingacircuitoftheforestinsteadofgoingthroughit——andthisopenspacecontainingthecabinwasonaremoteoutskirt!
\"Howfarisittotheroad?\"heasked。
\"Jestaspellarteryerisethehill,efyekeep’longsidethewoods。Butit’sarightsmartchancebeyond,efyegothroughit。\"
Thiswasquiteplaintohim。Inthelocaldialecta\"spell\"wasunderamile;\"arightsmartchance\"mightbethreeorfourmilesfarther。Luckilythespringandoutcropwereneartheoutskirts;
hewouldpassnearthemagainonhisway。Helookedlonginglyatthepanwhichshestillheldinherhands。\"Wouldyoumindlendingmethatpanforalittlewhile?\"hesaidhalflaughingly。
\"Wotfor?\"demandedthegirlquickly。Yethertonewasoneofchildishcuriosityratherthansuspicion。Flemingwouldhavelikedtoavoidthequestionandtheconsequentexposureofhisdiscoverywhichadirectanswerimplied。Buthesawitwastoolatenow。
\"Iwanttowashalittledirt,\"hesaidbluntly。
Thegirlturnedherdeepsunbonnettowardhim。Somewhereinitsdepthshesawtheflashofwhiteteeth。\"Goalongwithye——ye’refunnin’!\"shesaid。
\"Iwanttowashoutsomedirtinthatpan——I’mprospectingforgold,\"hesaid;\"don’tyouunderstand?\"
\"Areyeaminer?\"
\"Well,yes——asortofone,\"hereturned,withalaugh。
\"Thenye’dbetterbescootin’outo’thismightyquickaforedadcomes。Hedon’tcottontominers,andwon’thave’emaround。
That’swhyhelivesouthere。\"
\"Well,Idon’tliveouthere,\"respondedtheyoungmanlightly。\"I
shouldn’tbehereifIhadn’tlostmyway,andinhalfanhourI’llbeoffagain。SoI’mnotlikelytobotherhim。But,\"headded,asthegirlstillhesitated,\"I’llleaveadepositforthepan,ifyoulike。\"
\"Leaveawhich?\"
\"Themoneythatthepan’sworth,\"saidFlemingimpatiently。
Thehugesunbonnetstifflyswungaroundlikethewind-sailofashipandstaredatthehorizon。\"Idon’twantnomoney。Yekingit,\"saidthevoiceinitsdepths。
\"Lookhere,\"hesaiddesperately,\"IonlywantedtoprovetoyouthatI’llbringyourpanbacksafe。Nowlook!Ifyoudon’tliketotakemoney,I’llleavethisringwithyouuntilIcomeback。
There!\"Heslippedasmallspecimenring,madeoutofhisfirstgoldfindings,fromhislittlefinger。
Thesunbonnetslowlyswungaroundagainandstaredatthering。
Thenthelittleredrighthandreachedforward,tookthering,placeditontheforefingerofthelefthand,withalltheotherfingerswidelyextendedforthesunbonnettoview,andallthewhilethepanwasstillheldagainsthersidebytheotherhand。
Flemingnoticedthatthehands,thoughtawnyandnotoverclean,werealmostchildlikeinsize,andthattheforefingerwasmuchtoosmallforthering。Hetriedtofathomthedepthsofthesun-
bonnet,butitwasdentedononeside,andhecoulddiscernonlyasinglepaleblueeyeandathinblackarchofeyebrow。
\"Well,\"saidFleming,\"isitago?\"
\"Ofcourseye’llbecomin’backforitagain,\"saidthegirlslowly。
TherewassomuchofhopelessdisappointmentatthatprospectinhervoicethatFleminglaughedoutright。\"I’mafraidIshall,forIvaluetheringverymuch,\"hesaid。
Thegirlhandedhimthepan。\"It’sourbreadpan,\"shesaid。
Itmighthavebeenanything,foritwasbynomeansnew;indeed,itwasbatteredononesideandthebottomseemedtohavebeenbroken;
butitwouldserve,andFlemingwasanxioustobeoff。\"Thankyou,\"hesaidbriefly,andturnedaway。Thehoundbarkedagainashepassed;heheardthegirlsay,\"Shutyourhead,Tige!\"andsawherturnbackintothekitchen,stillholdingtheringbeforethesunbonnet。
Whenhereachedthewoods,heattackedtheoutcrophehadnoticed,anddetachedwithhishandsandtheaidofasharprockenoughoftheloosesoiltofillthepan。Thishetooktothespring,and,loweringthepaninthepool,begantowashoutitscontentswiththecentrifugalmovementoftheexperiencedprospector。Thesaturatedredsoiloverflowedthebrimwiththatliquidoozeknownas\"slumgullion,\"andturnedthecrystalpooltothecolorofblooduntilthesoilwaswashedaway。Thenthesmallerstoneswerecarefullyremovedandexamined,andthenanotherwashingofthenownearlyemptypanshowedthefineblacksandcoveringthebottom。
Thiswasinturnasgentlywashedaway。
Alas!thecleanpanshowedonlyoneortwominuteglisteningyellowscales,likepinheads,adheringfromtheirspecificgravitytothebottom;gold,indeed,butmerelyenoughtoindicate\"thecolor,\"
andcommontoordinaryprospectinginhisownlocality。
Hetriedanotherpanfulwiththesameresult。Hebecameawarethatthepanwasleaky,andthatinfinitecarealonepreventedthebottomfromfallingoutduringthewashing。Stillitwasanexperiment,andtheresultafailure。
Flemingwastoooldaprospectortotakehisdisappointmentseriously。Indeed,itwascharacteristicofthatperformanceandthatperiodthatfailureleftneitherhopelessnessnorlossoffaithbehindit;theprospectorhadsimplymiscalculatedtheexactlocality,andwasequallyasreadytotryhisluckagain。ButFlemingthoughtithightimetoreturntohisownminingworkincamp,andatoncesetofftoreturnthepantoitsgirlishownerandrecoverhisring。
Asheapproachedthecabinagain,beheardthesoundofsinging。
Itwasevidentlythegirl’svoice,upliftedinwhatseemedtobeafragmentofsomenegrocamp-meetinghymn:——
\"DarwasapoormanandhisnameitwasLazarum,LordbressdeLamb——gloryhallelugerum!
LordbressdeLamb!\"
Thefirsttwolineshadabriskmovement,accentedapparentlybytheclappingofhandsorthebeatingofatinpan,buttherefrain,\"LordbressdeLamb,\"wasdrawnoutinalugubriouschantofinfinitetenuity。
\"Therichmandiedandhewentstraighttohellerum。
LordbressdeLamb——gloryhallelugerum!
LordbressdeLamb!\"
Flemingpausedatthecabindoor。Beforehecouldrapthevoiceroseagain:——
\"Whenyeseeapoo’manbesuretogivehimcrumbsorum,LordbressdeLamb——gloryhallelugerum!
LordbressdeLamb!\"
Attheendofthisinterminablerefrain,drawnoutinayouthfulnasalcontralto,Flemingknocked。Thegirlinstantlyappeared,holdingtheringinherfingers。\"Ireckoneditwasyou,\"shesaid,withanaffectedbriskness,toconcealherevidentdislikeatpartingwiththetrinket。\"Thereitis!\"
ButFlemingwastooastoundedtospeak。Withtheopeningofthedoorthesunbonnethadfallenbacklikeabuggytop,disclosingforthefirsttimetheheadandshouldersofthewearer。Shewasnotachild,butasmartyoungwomanofseventeenoreighteen,andmuchofhisembarrassmentarosefromtheconsciousnessthathehadnoreasonwhateverforhavingbelievedherotherwise。
\"IhopeIdidn’tinterruptyoursinging,\"hesaidawkwardly。
Itwasonlyoneo’mammy’scamp-meetin’songs,\"saidthegirl。
\"Yourmother?Isshein?\"heasked,glancingpastthegirlintothekitchen。
\"’Tain’tmother——she’sdead。Mammy’souroldnurse。She’sgonetoJimtown,andtakenmydudstogetsomenewonesfittedtome。
Thesearesomeo’mother’s。\"
Thisaccountedforherstrangeappearance;butFlemingnoticedthatthegirl’smannerhadnottheslightestconsciousnessoftheirunbecomingness,norofthecharmsoffaceandfiguretheyhadmarred。
Shelookedathimcuriously。\"Hevyougotreligion?\"
\"Well,no!\"saidFleming,laughing;\"I’mafraidnot。\"
\"Dadhez——he’sgotitpow’ful。\"
\"Isthatthereasonhedon’tlikeminers?\"askedFleming。
\"’Takenottoyourselfthemammonofunrighteousness,’\"saidthegirl,withtheconfidentairofrepeatingalesson。\"That’swhattheBooksays。\"
\"ButIreadtheBible,too,\"repliedtheyoungman。
\"Dadsays,’Theletterkilleth’!\"saidthegirlsententiously。
FleminglookedatthetrophiesnailedonthewallswithavaguewonderifthispeculiarScripturaldestructivenesshadanythingtodowithhisskillasamarksman。Thegirlfollowedhiseye。
\"Dad’samightyhunteraforetheLord。\"
\"Whatdoeshedowiththeseskins?\"
\"Trades’emoffforgrubandfixin’s。Buthedon’tbelieveintrottin’roundinthemudforgold。\"
\"Don’tyousupposetheseanimalswouldhavepreferreditifhehad?
Goldhuntingtakesnothingfromanybody。\"
Thegirlstaredathim,andthen,tohisgreatsurprise,laughedinsteadofbeingangry。Itwasaveryfascinatinglaughinherimperfectlynourishedpaleface,andherlittleteethrevealedthebluishmilkywhitenessofpipsofyoungIndiancorn。
\"Wotyerlookin’at?\"sheaskedfrankly。
\"You,\"hereplied,withequalfrankness。
\"It’sthemduds,\"shesaid,lookingdownatherdress;\"IreckonI
ain’tgotthehango’’em\"
Yettherewasnottheslightesttoneofembarrassmentorevencoquetryinhermanner,aswithbothhandsshetriedtogatherintheloosefoldsaroundherwaist。
\"Letmehelpyou,\"hesaidgravely。
Sheliftedupherarmswithchildlikesimplicityandbackedtowardhimashesteppedbehindher,drewinthefolds,andpinnedthemaroundwhatprovedaverysmallwaistindeed。Thenheuntiedtheapron,tookitoff,foldeditinhalf,andretieditscurtailedproportionsaroundthewaist。\"Itdoesfeelaheapeasier,\"shesaid,withalittleshiverofsatisfaction,assheliftedherroundcheek,andthetailofherblueeyeswiththeirbrownlashes,overhershoulder。Itwasatemptingmoment——butJackfeltthatthewholeraceofgoldhunterswasontrialjustthen,andwasadamant!
Perhapshewasagentlefellowatheart,too。
\"Icouldloopupthatdressalso,ifIhadmorepins,\"heremarkedtentatively。Jackhadsistersofhisown。
Thepinswereforthcoming。Inthisoperation——akindoffestooning——
thegirl’spetticoat,apieceofcommonwashed-outblueflannel,aspaleashereyes,butofthecommonestmaterial,becamevisible,butwithoutfearorreproachtoeither。
\"There,thatlooksmoretidy,\"saidJack,criticallysurveyinghisworkandalittleofthesmallanklesrevealed。Thegirlalsoexamineditcarefullybyitsreflectiononthesurfaceofthesaucepan。\"Looksalittlelikeachinygirl,don’tit?\"
Jackwouldhaveresentedthis,thinkingshemeantaChinese,untilhesawherpointingtoacheapcrockeryornament,representingaDutchshepherdess,ontheshelf。Therewassomeresemblance。
\"Youbeatmammyouto’sight!\"sheexclaimedgleefully。\"Itwilljestsetherclearcrazywhensheseesme。\"
\"Thenyouhadbettersayyoudidityourself,\"saidFleming。
\"Why?\"askedthegirl,suddenlyopeninghereyesonhimwithrelentlessfrankness。
\"Yousaidyourfatherdidn’tlikeminers,andhemightn’tlikeyourlendingyourpantome。\"
\"I’mmoreafraido’lyin’thano’dad,\"shesaidwithanelevationofmoralsentimentthatwas,however,slightlyweakenedbytheaddition,\"Mammy’llsayanythingI’lltellhertosay。\"
\"Well,good-by,\"saidFleming,extendinghishand。
\"Yedidn’ttellmewhatluckyehadwiththepan,\"shesaid,delayingtakinghishand。
Flemingshruggedhisshoulders。\"Oh,myusualluck,——nothing,\"hereturned,withasmile。
\"Yeseemtokeermoreforgettin’yeroldringbackthanforanyluck,\"shecontinued。\"Ireckonyouain’tmucho’aminer。\"
\"I’mafraidnot。\"
\"Yedidn’tsaywotyernamewas,incasedadwantstoknow。\"
\"Idon’tthinkhewillwantto;butit’sJohnFleming。\"
Shetookhishand。\"Youdidn’ttellmeyours,\"hesaid,holdingthelittleredfingers,\"incaseIwantedtoknow。\"
Itpleasedhertoconsidertherejoinderintenselywitty。Sheshowedallherlittleteeth,threwawayhishand,andsaid:——
\"G’longwithye,Mr。Fleming。It’sTinka\"——
\"Tinker?\"
\"Yes;shortforKatinka,——KatinkaJallinger。\"
\"Good-by,MissJallinger。\"
\"Good-by。Dad’snameisHenryBooneJallinger,ofKentucky,efyewaseveraskin’。\"
\"Thankyou。\"
Heturnedawayassheswiftlyre-enteredthehouse。Ashewalkedaway,hehalfexpectedtohearhervoiceupliftedagaininthecamp-meetingchant,buthewasdisappointed。Whenhereachedthetopofthehillheturnedandlookedbackatthecabin。
Shewasapparentlywaitingforthis,andwavedhimanadieuwiththehumblepanhehadborrowed。Itflashedamomentdazzlinglyasitcaughtthedecliningsun,andthenwentout,evenobliteratingthelittlefigurebehindit。
PARTII
Mr。JackFlemingwasindeed\"notmuchofaminer。\"Heandhispartners——bothasyoung,hopeful,andinefficientashimself——hadforthreemonthsworkedaclaiminamountainminingsettlementwhichyieldedthemacertainamountofhealthyexercise,good-
humoredgrumbling,andexaltedindependence。Todigforthreeorfourhoursinthemorning,smoketheirpipesunderaredwood-treeforanhouratnoon,takeuptheirlaborsagainuntilsunset,whenthey\"washedup\"andgatheredsufficientgoldtopayfortheirdailywants,was,withouttheirseekingit,orevenknowingit,therealizationofacharmingsocialisticidealwhichbettermenthanthemselveshadonlydreamedof。Flemingfellbackintothisrefinedbarbarism,givinglittlethoughttohiswoodlandexperience,andnorevelationofittohispartners。Hehadtransactedtheirbusinessattheminingtown。Hisdeviationsenroutewerenothingtothem,andsmallaccounttohimself。
Thethirddayafterhisreturnhewaslyingunderaredwoodwhenhispartnerapproachedhim。
\"Youaren’tuneasyinyourmindaboutanyunpaidbill——sayawashbill——thatyou’reowing?\"
\"Why?\"
\"There’sabigniggerwomanincamplookingforyou;she’sgotafoldedaccountpaperinherhand。Itlooksdeucedlylikeabill。\"
\"Theremustbesomemistake,\"suggestedFleming,sittingup。
\"Shesaysnot,andshe’sgotyournamepatenough!Faulkner\"(hisotherpartner)\"headedherstraightupthegulch,awayfromcamp,whileIcamedowntowarnyou。Soifyouchoosetoskedaddleintothebrushoutthereandlielowuntilwegetheraway,we’llfixit!\"
\"Nonsense!I’llseeher。\"
Hispartnerlookedaghastatthistemerity,butFleming,jumpingtohisfeet,atoncesetouttomeethismysteriousvisitor。Thiswasnoeasymatter,astheingeniousFaulknerwaslaboriouslyleadinghischargeupthesteepgulchroad,withgreatpoliteness,butmanyaudiblemisgivingsastowhetherthiswasnot\"JackFleming’sdayforgoingtoJamestown。\"
Hewasfurtherlighteningthejourneybycheeringaccountsoftherecentdepredationsofbearsandpanthersinthatimmediatelocality。WhenovertakenbyFlemingheaffectedastartofjoyfulsurprise,toconcealthelookofwarningwhichFlemingdidnotheed,——havingnoeyesbutforFaulknerscompanion。Shewasaveryfatnegrowoman,pantingwithexertionandsuppressedimpatience。
Fleming’sheartwasfilledwithcompunction。
\"IsyouMarseFleming?\"shegasped。
\"Yes,\"saidFleminggently。\"WhatcanIdoforyou?\"
\"Well!Yekinpickdisyarinsek,discaterpillier,\"shesaid,pointingtoFaulkner,\"offmypaf。Yekintelldisyarchipmunkdatwhenhecomestoshowin’memuletracksforb’artracks,he’sbarkin’updewrongtree!Datwhenhetellsmedatheseespanfersa-promenadin’roundindeshortgrassorhidin’behimerocksindeopen,hehain’ttalkin’tononiggerchile,butagrowedwoman!YekintellhimdatMammyCurtislivedindewoodsafo’hewasborn,andhezseenmoreb’arsandmountainlyunsdanhehezhairsinhismustarches。\"
Theword\"Mammy\"broughtaflashofrecollectiontoFleming。
\"Iamverysorry,\"hebegan;buttohissurprisethenegrowomanburstintoagood-temperedlaugh。
\"Allright,honey!S’long’syouisMarseFleminganddemandattookdat’arpanofferTinkadeodderday,Iain’tmindin’yo’
frens’bedevilments。I’vegotsomefinfo’you,yar,andalittlebox,\"andshehandedhimafoldedpaper。
Flemingfelthimselfreddening,heknewnotwhy,atwhichFaulknerdiscreetlybutostentatiouslywithdrew,conveyingtohisotherpartnerpainfulconvictionthatFleminghadborrowedapanfromatravelingtinker,whosenegrowifewasevennowpresentingabillforthesame,anddemandingasettlement。Relievedbyhisdeparture,Fleminghurriedlytoreopenthefoldedpaper。Itwasaletterwrittenuponaleaftornoutofanoldaccountbook,whoseruledlineshadundoubtedlygivenhispartnerstheideathatitwasabill。Fleminghurriedlyreadthefollowing,tracedwithapencilinaschoolgirl’shand:——
Mr。J。FLEMING。
DearSir,——AfteryouwentawaythatdayItookthatpanyoubroughtbacktomixabatchofbreadandbiscuits。Thenextmorningatbreakfastdadsays:\"What’sgoneo’themtharbiscuits——myteethisjustbrokewiththem——they’resogritty——they’reabominable!
What’sthis?\"sayshe,andwiththathechucksovertometwoorthreeflakesofgoldthatwasinthem。Youseewhathadhappened,Mr。Fleming,wasthis!Youhadbetterluckthanyouwasknowingof!Itwasthisway!Someofthegoldyouwashedhadgotslippedintothesidesofthepanwhereitwasbroke,andthestickydoughmusthavebroughtitout,andIkneadedthemupunbeknowing。OfcourseIhadtotellawickedlie,but\"Beyeallthingstoallmen,\"saystheBook,andIthoughtyououghttoknowyourgoodluck,andIsendmammywiththisandthegoldinalittlebox。Ofcourse,ifdadwasahunterofMammonandnotofGod’sownbeasts,hewouldhavebeenmightykeenaboutfindingwhereitcamefrom,butheallowsitwasinthewaterinournearspring。Sogood-by。
Doyoucareforyourringnowasmuchasyoudid?
Yoursveryrespectfully,KATINKAJALLINGER。
AsMr。Flemingglancedupfromthepaper,mammyputasmallcardboardboxinhishand。Foraninstanthehesitatedtoopenit,notknowinghowfarmammywasintrustedwiththesecret。Tohisgreatreliefshesaidbriskly:\"Well,dar!nowdatjob’sdonegoneandoftenmyhan’s,Iallowtoquitandjestgetoffdisyercampafo’yekinshakeastick。Sodon’ttellmenuffinIain’tgottertellwhenIgoesback。\"
Flemingunderstood。\"YoucantellherIthankher——and——I’llattendtoit,\"hesaidvaguely;\"thatis——I\"——
\"Holddar!that’sjustenuff,honey——nomo’!Solongtoyeandyousefolks。\"
Hewatchedherstridingawaytowardthemainroad,andthenopenedthebox。
Itcontainedthreeflakesofplacerorsurfacegold,weighinginallaboutaquarterofanounce。Theycouldeasilyhaveslippedintotheintersticesofthebrokenpanandnothavebeenobservedbyhim。Ifthiswastheresultofthewashingofasinglepan——andhecouldnoweasilyimaginethatotherflakesmighthaveescaped——
what——Buthestopped,dazedandbewilderedatthebaresuggestion。
Hegazeduponthevanishingfigureof\"mammy。\"Couldshe——couldKatinka——havetheleastsuspicionofthepossibilitiesofthisdiscovery?OrhadProvidenceputthekeepingofthissecretintothehandsofthosewholeastunderstooditsimportance?Foraninstanthethoughtofrunningafterherwithawordofcaution;butonreflectionhesawthatthismightawakenhersuspicionandprecipitateadiscoverybyanother。
Hisonlysafetyforthepresentwassilence,untilhecouldrepeathisexperiment。Andthatmustbedonequickly。
Howshouldhegetawaywithouthispartners’knowledgeofhispurpose?Hewastooloyaltothemtowishtokeepthisgoodfortunetohimself,buthewasnotyetsureofhisgoodfortune。
Itmightbeonlyalittle\"pocket\"whichhehadjustemptied;itmightbealargeronewhichanothertrialwouldexhaust。
Hehadputupno\"notice;\"hemightfinditalreadyinpossessionofKatinka’sfather,oranychanceprospectorlikehimself。Ineithercasehewouldbecoveredwithridiculebyhispartnersandthecamp,ormoreseriouslyrebukedforhiscarelessnessandstupidity。No!hecouldnottellthemthetruth;norcouldhelie。
Hewouldsayhewascalledawayforadayonprivatebusiness。
Luckilyforhim,theactiveimaginationofhispartnerswasevennowhelpinghim。Thetheoryofthe\"tinker\"andthe\"pan\"wasindignantlyrejectedbyhisotherpartner。HisblushesandembarrassmentweresuddenlyrememberedbyFaulkner,andbythetimehereachedhiscabin,theyhadsettledthatthenegrowomanhadbroughthimaloveletter!Hewasyoungandgoodlooking;whatwasmorenaturalthanthatheshouldhavesomedistantloveaffair?
HisembarrassedstatementthathemustleaveearlythenextmorningonbusinessthathecouldnotatPRESENTdisclosewasconsideredamplyconfirmatory,andreceivedwithmaliciouslysignificantacquiescence。\"Only,\"saidFaulkner,\"atYOURage,sonny,\"——hewasninemonthsolderthanFleming,——\"IshouldhavegoneTO-NIGHT。\"
SurelyProvidencewasfavoringhim!
Hewasoffearlythenextmorning。Hewassorelytemptedtogofirsttothecabin,buteverymomentwaspreciousuntilhehadtestedtheproofofhisgoodfortune。
Itwashighnoonbeforehereachedthefringeofforest。Afewpacesfartherandhefoundthespringandoutcrop。Toaverthispartners’suspicionshehadnotbroughthisownimplements,buthadborrowedapan,spade,andpickfromaneighbor’sclaimbeforesettingout。Thespotwasapparentlyinthesameconditionaswhenheleftit,andwithabeatingheartheatoncesettowork,aneasytaskwithhisnewimplements。Henervouslywatchedthewateroverflowthepanofdirtatitsedgesuntil,emptiedofearthandgravel,theblacksandalonecoveredthebottom。Aslightpremonitionofdisappointmentfollowed;arichindicationwouldhaveshownitselfbeforethis!Afewmoreworkings,andthepanwasquiteemptyexceptforafewpin-pointsof\"color,\"almostexactlythequantityhefoundbefore。Hewashedanotherpanwiththesameresult。Anothertakenfromadifferentleveloftheoutcropyieldedneithermorenorless!Therewasnomistake:itwasafailure!Hisdiscoveryhadbeenonlyalittle\"pocket,\"andthefewflakesshehadsenthimwerethefirstandlastofthatdiscovery。
Hesatdownwithasenseofrelief;hecouldfacehispartnersagainwithoutdisloyalty;hecouldseethatprettylittlefigureoncemorewithoutthecompunctionofhavingincurredherfather’sprejudicesbylocatingapermanentclaimsonearhiscabin。Infact,hecouldcarryouthispartners’fancytotheletter!
Hequicklyheapedhisimplementstogetherandturnedtoleavethewood;buthewasconfrontedbyafigurethatatfirsthescarcelyrecognized。Yet——itwasKatinka!theyounggirlofthecabin,whohadsenthimthegold。Shewasdresseddifferently——perhapsinherordinaryevery-daygarments——abrightspriggedmuslin,achiphatwithblueribbonssetuponacoilofluxuriousbrownhair。Butwhatstruckhimmostwasthatthegirlishanddiminutivecharacterofthefigurehadvanishedwithherill-fittingclothes;thegirlthatstoodbeforehimwasofordinaryheight,andofaprettinessandgraceoffigurethathefeltwouldhaveattractedanywhere。
Flemingfelthimselfsuddenlyembarrassed,——afeelingthatwasnotlessenedwhenhenoticedthatherprettylipwascompressedandhereyebrowsalittlestraightenedasshegazedathim。
\"Yemadeabeelineforthewoods,Isee,\"shesaidcoldly。\"I
allowedyemighthavebeendroppin’intoourhousefirst。\"
\"SoIshould,\"saidFlemingquickly,\"butIthoughtIoughttofirstmakesureoftheinformationyoutookthetroubletosendme。\"Hehesitatedtospeakoftheillluckhehadjustexperienced;
hecouldlaughatithimself——butwouldshe?
\"Andyegotanewpan?\"shesaidhalfpoutingly。
Hereseemedhisopportunity。\"Yes,butI’mafraidithasn’tthemagicofyours。Ihaven’tevengotthecolor。Ibelieveyoubewitchedyouroldpan。\"
Herfaceflushedalittleandbrightened,andherliprelaxedwithasmile。\"Go’longwithyer!Yedon’tmeantosayyehadnoluckto-day?\"
\"None——butinseeingyou。\"
Hereyessparkled。\"Yesee,Isaidall’longyeweren’tmucho’aminer。Yeain’tgotnofaith。Efyehadasmuchasagraino’
mustardseed,ye’dremovemountains;it’sintheBook。\"
\"Yes,andthismountainisonthebedrock,andmyfaithisnotstrongenough,\"hesaidlaughingly。\"Andthen,thatwouldbehavingfaithinMammon,andyoudon’twantmetohaveTHAT。\"
Shelookedathimcuriously。\"Ijestreckonyedon’tcareapicayunewhetheryestrikeanythingornot,\"shesaidhalfadmiringly。
\"TopleaseyouI’lltryagain,ifyou’lllookon。Perhapsyou’llbringmeluckasyoudidbefore。Youshalltakethepan。Iwillfillitandyoushallwashitout。You’llbemyMASCOT。\"
Shestiffenedalittleatthis,andthensaidpertly,\"Wot’sthat?\"
\"Mygoodfairy。\"
Shesmiledagain,thistimewithanewcolorinherpaleface。
\"MaybeIam,\"shesaid,withsuddengravity。
Hequicklyfilledthepanagainwithsoil,broughtittothespring,andfirstwashedoutthegreaterbulkofloosesoil。\"Nowcomehereandkneeldownbesideme,\"hesaid,\"andtakethepananddoasIshowyou。\"
Shekneltdownobediently。Suddenlysheliftedherlittlehandwithagestureofwarning。\"Waitaminit——jestaminit——tillthewaterrunsclearagain。\"
Thepoolhadbecomeslightlydiscoloredfromthefirstwashing。
\"Thatmakesnodifference,\"hesaidquickly。
\"Ah!butwait,please!\"Shelaidherbrownhanduponhisarm;apleasantwarmthseemedtofollowhertouch。Thenshesaidjoyously,\"Lookdownthere。\"
\"Where?\"heasked。
\"There——don’tyeseeit?\"
\"Seewhat?\"
\"Youandme!\"
Helookedwhereshepointed。Thepoolhadsettled,resumeditsmirror-likecalm,andreflecteddistinctly,notonlytheirtwobendingfaces,buttheirtwofigureskneelingsidebyside。Twotallredwoodsroseoneithersideofthem,likethecolumnsbeforeanaltar。
Therewasamomentofsilence。Thedroneofabumble-beenearbyseemedtomakethesilenceswimdrowsilyintheirears;farofftheyheardthefaintbeatofawoodpecker。Thesuggestionoftheirkneelingfiguresinthismagicmirrorwasvague,unreasoning,yetforthemomentnonethelessirresistible。Hisarminstinctivelycreptaroundherlittlewaistashewhispered,——hescarceknewwhathesaid,——\"PerhapshereisthetreasureIamseeking。\"
Thegirllaughed,releasedherself,andsprangup;thepansankingloriouslytothebottomofthepool,whereFleminghadtogropeforit,assistedbyTinka,whorolleduphersleevetoherelbow。
Foraminuteortwotheywashedgravely,butwithnobettersuccessthanattendedhisownindividualefforts。Theresultinthebottomofthepanwasthesame。Fleminglaughed。
\"Yousee,\"hesaidgayly,\"theMammonofunrighteousnessisnotforme——atleast,sonearyourfather’stabernacle。\"
\"Thatmakesnodifferencenow,\"saidthegirlquickly,\"fordadisgoin’tomove,anyway,fartherupthemountains。Hesaysit’sgettin’toocrowdedforhimhere——whenthelastsettlertookupasectionthreemilesoff。\"
\"AndareYOUgoingtoo?\"askedtheyoungmanearnestly。
Tinkanoddedherbrownhead。Flemingheavedagenuinesigh。
\"Well,I’lltrymyhandherealittlelonger。I’llputupanoticeofclaim;Idon’tsupposeyourfatherwouldobject。Youknowhecouldn’tLEGALLY。\"
\"Ireckonyemightdoitefyewanted——efyewasTHATkeenongettin’gold!\"saidTinka,lookingaway。Therewassomethinginthegirl’stonewhichthisbuddingloverresented。Hehadbecomesensitive。
\"Oh,well,\"hesaid,\"Iseethatitmightmakeunpleasantnesswithyourfather。Ionlythought,\"hewenton,withtenderertentativeness,\"thatitwouldbepleasanttoworkherenearyou。\"
\"Ye’dbeonlywastin’yertime,\"shesaiddarkly。
Flemingrosegravely。\"Perhapsyou’reright,\"heansweredsadlyandalittlebitterly,\"andI’llgoatonce。\"
Hewalkedtothespring,andgathereduphistools。\"Thankyouagainforyourkindness,andgood-by。\"
Heheldouthishand,whichshetookpassively,andhemovedaway。
Buthehadnotgonefarbeforeshecalledhim。Heturnedtofindherstillstandingwherehehadlefther,herlittlehandsclinchedatherside,andherwidelyopenedeyesstaringathim。Suddenlysheranathim,and,catchingthelapelsofhiscoatinbothhands,heldhimrigidlyfast。
\"No!no!yesha’n’tgo——yemustn’tgo!\"shesaid,withhystericalintensity。\"Iwanttotellyesomething!Listen!——you——you——Mr。
Fleming!I’vebeenawicked,wickedgirl!I’vetoldliestodad——
tomammy——toYOU!I’vebornefalsewitness——I’mworsethanSapphira——I’veactedabiglie。Oh,Mr。Fleming,I’vemadeyoucomebackherefornothing!Yedidn’tfindnogoldtheotherday。
Therewasn’tany。Itwasallme!I——I——SALTEDTHATPAN!\"
\"Saltedit!\"echoedFleming,inamazement。
\"Yes,’saltedit,’\"shefaltered;\"that’swhatdadsaystheycallit——whatthosewickedsonsofMammondototheirclaimstosellthem。I——putgoldinthepanmyself;itwasn’ttherebefore。\"
\"Butwhy?\"gaspedFleming。
Shestopped。Thensuddenlythefountainsinthedeepofherblueeyeswerebrokenup;sheburstintoasob,andburiedherheadinherhands,andherhandsonhisshoulder。\"Because——because\"——shesobbedagainsthim——\"IWANTEDYOUtocomeback!\"
Hefoldedherinhisarms。Hekissedherlovingly,forgivingly,gratefully,tearfully,smilingly——andpaused;thenhekissedhersympathetically,understandingly,apologetically,explanatorily,inlieuofotherconversation。Then,becomingcoherent,heasked,——
\"ButWHEREdidyougetthegold?\"
\"Oh,\"shesaidbetweenfitfulanddespairingsobs,\"somewhere!——I
don’tknow——outoftheoldRun——longago——whenIwaslittle!I
didn’tneverdaresayanythingtodad——he’dhavebeencrazymadathisowndaughterdiggin’——andInevercarednorthoughtasinglebitaboutituntilIsawyou。\"
\"Andyouhaveneverbeentheresince?\"
\"Never。\"
\"Noranybodyelse?\"
\"No。\"
Suddenlyshethrewbackherhead;herchiphatfellbackfromherface,rosywithadawninginspiration!\"Oh,say,Jack!——youdon’tthinkthat——afterallthistime——theremight\"——Shedidnotfinishthesentence,but,graspinghishand,cried,\"Come!\"
Shecaughtupthepan,heseizedtheshovelandpick,andtheyracedlikeboyandgirldownthehill。Whenwithinafewhundredfeetofthehousesheturnedatrightanglesintotheclearing,andsaying,\"Don’tbeskeered;dad’saway,\"ranboldlyon,stillholdinghishand,alongthelittlevalley。Atitsfartherextremitytheycametothe\"Run,\"ahalf-driedwatercoursewhoserockysidesweremarkedbytheerosionofwintertorrents。Itwasapparentlyaswildandsecludedastheforestspring。\"Nobodyevercamehere,\"saidthegirlhurriedly,\"afterdadsunkthewellatthehouse。\"
OneortwopoolsstillremainedintheRunfromthelastseason’sflow,waterenoughtowashoutseveralpansofdirt。