\"No，ma’am，\"hesighed，\"youcan’tdonothing，Iguess。\"
\"Justletmegooverandgetourmedicines。\"
\"Thankyou，ma’am，\"saidJake，andthepainonhisfacewasmiserabletosee；\"thereain’tnomedicine。We’rekindofusedtothis，Andyandme。
Maybe，ifyouwouldn’tmindstayin’tillhecomesto——Why，asickmantakescomfortatthesightofalady。\"
Whenthefithadpassedtheyhelpedhimtohisfeet，andJakeledhimaway。
Mrs。Jakemadeherfirstappearanceupontheguestssittingdowntotheirmeal，whenshewaitedontable，passingbusilyforthfromthekitchenwithherdishes。ShehadbutthreeorfourEnglishwords，andherbestyearswereplainlybehindher；buthercookingwasgood，friedandboiledwithsticksofherownchopping，andsheservedwithindustry。Indeed，asquawisoneofthefewspeciesofthedomesticwifethatsurvivetodayuponourcontinent。Andyseemednowtokeepallhisdislikeforher，andfollowedherwithascowlingeye，whilehefrequentedJake，drawingachairtositnexthimwhenhesmokedbythewallaftersupper，andsome—
timeswatchinghimwithasortofcloudedaffectionuponhisface。Hedidnottalk，andtheseizurehadevidentlyjarredhismindaswellashisframe。Whenthesquawwasaboutlightingalamphebrushedherarminachildishwaysothatthematchwentout，andsethimlaughing。ShepouredoutaharangueinChinook，showingthedeadmatchtoJake，whoroseandgravelylightedthelamphimself，Andylaughingmorethanever。WhenMrs。
ClallamhadtakenNancywithhertobed，JakewalkedJohnClallamtotheriver—bank，andlookingupanddown，spokealittleofhisrealmind。
\"Iguessyouseehowitiswithme。Anyway，Idon’tcommonlyhevuseforstranger—folksinthishouse。Butthatlittlegirlofyournstartedcryin’aboutnothavin’thepumpalongthatshe’dbeenusedtoseein’intheyardathome。AndIsaystomyself，’Looka—here，Jake，Idon’tcareiftheydoketchontoyouandyerblamedwhiskeybusiness。They’renotthesorttotellonyou。’Gee！butthataboutthepumpgotme！AndI
says，’Jake，you’regoin’togivethemthebestyouhevgot。’Why，thatBigBenddesertandlonesomevalleyoftheColumbiahezchilledmyheartinthedaysthataregonewhenIweren’tusedtothings；andthelittlegirlhedcamesofur！AndIknowedhowshewasa—feelin’。\"
Hestopped，andseemedtobeturningmattersover。
\"I’mmuchobligedtoyou，\"saidClallam。
\"AndyourwifewasjestbeautifulaboutAndy。You’vesawmewickedtoAndy。Iam，andoften，forIrileturrublequick，andGodforgiveme！Butwhenthatboygitsathismeanness——yu’veseenjestatouchofit——
there’sscarcelylivin’withhim。Itseemslikehegotreg’larinspired。
Somedayshe’lllie——makeupbigliestothefustmancomesinatthedoor。Theyain’tharmless，hisliesain’t。Thenhe’lltrickmywoman，that’srealgoodtohim；andIbelievehe’dlickwhiskeyupoffthedirt。
Andeverydropispoisonforhimwithhiscomplaint。ButI’doughttoremember。You’dsurelythinkIcouldremember，andforbear。Mostlikelyhemadeabigtalktoyouaboutthatcabin。\"
JohnClallamtoldhim。
\"Well，that’salltrue，foronced。Ididthinkhe’dbeenuptostealin’
thatwhiskeygradual，’steadoffishin’，thetimeshewasoutallday。
AndthesalaryIgivehim\"——Jakelaughedalittle——\"ain’tenoughtojustifyaman’sbreakingthelaw。Ididtakehisrifleawaywhenhetriedtoshootmywoman。IguessitwasSiwashesbruckintothatcabin。\"
\"I’mprettycertainofit，\"saidClallam。
\"You？Whatmakesyou？\"
Johnbeganthetaleofthegallopingdots，andJakestoppedwalkingtolistentheharder。\"Yes，\"hesaid；\"that’sbad。That’sjestbad。Theyhevcarriedalotofftodrink。That’stheworst。\"
Hehadlittletosayafterthis，buttalkedunderhistongueastheywenttothehouse，whereheofferedabedtoClallamandMart。Theywouldnotturnhimout，soheshowedthemovertoahaystack，wheretheycrawledinandwenttosleep。
Mostwhitemenknowwhentheyhavehadenoughwhiskey。MostIndiansdonot。Thisisadifferencebetweentheracesofwhichgovernmenthastakennotice。Governmentsaysthat\"noardentspiritsshallbeintroducedunderanypresenceintotheIndiancountry。\"Italsosaysthatthewhitemanwhoattemptstobreakthislaw\"shallbepunishedbyimprisonmentfornotmorethantwoyearsandbyafineofnotmorethanthreehundreddollars。\"ItfurthersaysthatifanysuperintendentofIndianaffairshasreasontosuspectaman，hemaycausethe\"boats，stores，packages，wagons，sleds，andplacesofdeposit\"ofsuchpersontobesearched，andifardentspiritsbefounditshallbeforfeit，togetherwiththeboatsandallothersubstanceswithitconnected，onehalftotheinformerandtheotherhalftotheuseoftheUnitedStates。Thecourtsandalllegalmachinesnecessaryfortrialandpunishmentofoffendersareoiledandready；twoyearsisalongwhileinjail；threehundreddollarsandconfiscationsoundsheavy；altogetherthepenaltylookssevereontheprintedpage——andallthewhilethere’snobriskersuccessinourfarWestthansellingwhiskeytoIndians。Veryfewpeopleknowwhatthewhiskeyismadeof，andtheIndiandoesnotcare。Hedrinkstillhedropssenseless。Ifhehaskillednobodyandnobodyhimduringtheprocess，itisagoodthing，forthenthematterendswithhisgettingsoberandgoinghometohistenttillsuchhappytimewhenhecanputhishandonsomefurtherpossessiontotradeaway。Thewhiteoffenderiscaughtnowandthen；butOkanagonCountyliesprettysnugfromthearmofthelaw。
It’sagainstCanadatothenorth，andtheemptycountyofStevenstotheeast；southofitrushestheColumbia，withthenakedhorribleBigBendbeyond，andtoitswestrisesadomainofunfootedmountains。ThereislawupinthetopofitatConconullysometimes，butnotmuchevento—day，forthatisstillanewcountry，whereflowtheMethow，theAshinola，andtheSimilikameen。
ConsequentlyacabinlikeWild—GooseJake’swasaholidayplace。Theblanketeddenizensofthereservationcrossedtoit，andthecitizenswhohadneighboringcabinsalongthetrailrepairedheretospendwhatmoneytheyhad。AsMrs。Clallamlayinherbedsheheardcustomersarrive。TwoorthreeloudvoicesspokeinEnglish，andseveralIndiansandsquawsseemedtobewiththeparty，banteringinChinook。ThevisitorswereintoostrongforceforJake’swordaboutcomingsomeothernighttobeofanyavail。
\"Openyourcellarandquityourtalk，\"Elizabethheard，andnextsheheardsomedoorthatstuck，pulledopenwithashriekofthewarpedtimber。Nexttheyweregambling，andmadenotmuchnoiseoveritatfirst；buttheIndiansinduetimebegantolosetothesobererwhites，becomingquarrelsome，andraisingaclumsydisturbance，thoughitwasplainthewhiteshadtheirownwayandwerefeared。Thevoicesrose，andsoontherewasnomomentthatseveralwerenotshoutingcursesatonce，tillMrs。Clallamstoppedherears。Shewasstillforatime，hearingonlyinamuffledway，whenallatoncethesmellofdrinkandtobacco，thathadsiftedonlyalittlethroughthecracks，grewheavyintheroom，andshefeltNancyshrinkclosetoherside。
\"Mother，mother，\"thechildwhispered，\"what’sthat？\"
Ithadgonebeyondcard—playingwiththecompanyinthesaloon；theyseemednowtobehavingasavagehorse—play，thoseontheirfeettrampingintheirscufflesuponothersonthefloor，whobellowedincoherently。
ElizabethClallamtookNancyinherarmsandtoldherthatnobodywouldcomewheretheywere。
Butthechildwasshaking。\"Yes，theywill，\"shewhispered，interror。
\"Theyare！\"Andshebeganatearlesssobbing，holdinghermotherwithherwholestrength。
Alittlesoundcameclosebythebed，andElizabeth’ssensesstoppedsothatforhalfaminuteshecouldnotstir。Shestayedrigidbeneaththequilt，andNancyclungtoher。Somethingwasmovingoverthefloor。Itcamequitenear，butturned，anditsslightrustlecrawledawaytowardsthewindow。
\"Whoisthat？\"demandedMrs。Clallam，sittingup。
Therewasnoanswer，buttheslowcreepingcontinued，alwaysclosealongthefloor，likethefoldsofstuffrubbing，andhandsfeelingtheirwayinshortslidesagainsttheboards。Shehadnowaytofindwhereherhusbandwassleeping，andwhileshethoughtofthisandwhetherornottorushoutatthedoor，thetablewasgentlyshaken，therewasadraweropened，andsomeobjectfell。
\"Onlyathief，\"shesaidtoherself，andinasortofsharpjoycriedoutherquestionagain。
Thesingularbrokenvoiceofawomananswered，seeminglyinfear。
\"Match—es，\"itsaid；and\"Match—es\"saidasecondvoice，pronouncingwithdifficulty，likethefirst。Sheknewitwassomeofthesquaws，andsprangfromthebed，askingwhattheyweredoingthere。\"Match—es，\"theymurmured；andwhenshehadstruckalightshesawhowthetwowerecringing，theirblanketshuddledroundthem。Theirmotionlessblackeyeslookedupatherfromthefloorwheretheylaysprawled，makingnooffertogetup。Itwascleartoherfromthepleadingfearintheonewordtheyansweredtowhatevershesaid，thattheyhadcomeheretohidefromthefuryofthenextroom；andasshestoodlisteningtothisshewouldhaveletthemremain，buttheirescapehadbeennoticed。Amanburstintotheroom，andatsightofherandNancystopped，andwasblunderingexcuses，whenJakecaughthisarmandhaddraggedhimalmostout，buthesawthetwoonthefloor；atthis，gettinghimselffree，hehalfsweptthecrouchingfigureswithhisbootastheyfledoutoftheroom，andthedoorwasswungshut。Mrs。Clallamheardhisviolentwordstothesquawsfordaringtodisturbthestrangers，andtherefollowedtheheavylashingofaquirt，withscreamsandlamenting。NotroublecamefromtheIndianhusbands，fortheywerestupefiedontheground，andwhentheirintelligencesquickenedenoughforthemtomove，thepunishmentwaslongoverandnooneinthehouseawakebutElizabethandNancy，seatedtogetherintheirbed，watchingfortheday。Motheranddaughterheardthemrisetogooutonebyone，andthehoof—beatsoftheirhorsesgrewdistantupanddowntheriver。Astherustlingtreeslightedandturnedtransparentintherisingsun，Jakerousedthosethatremainedandgotthemaway。Laterheknockedatthedoor。
\"Ihevalittleraftfixedthismorning，\"saidhe，\"andIguesswecanswimthewagonoverhere。\"
\"Whatever’squickesttotakeusfromthisplace，\"Elizabethanswered。
\"Breakfast’llbeready，ma’am，wheneveryousay。\"
\"Iamreadynow。Ishallwanttostartferryingourthings——Where’sMr。
Clallam？Tellhimtocomehere。\"
\"Iwill，ma’am。I’msorry——\"
\"TellMr。Clallamtocomehere，please。\"
Johnhadsleptsoundinhishaystack，andheardnothing。\"Well，\"hesaid，aftercomfortinghiswifeandNancy，\"youwerebetteroffintheroom，anyway。I’dnotblamehimso，Liza。Howwashegoingtohelpit？\"
ButElizabethwasawoman，andjustnowsawonethingalone：ifsellingwhiskeyledtosuchthingsinthiscountry，themanwhosolditwasmuchworsethananymerelaw—breaker。JohnClallam，beingnowalongtimemarried，madenoargument。Hewaslookingabsentlyattheopendrawerofatable。\"That’squeer，\"hesaid，andpickedupatintype。
Shehadnocuriosityforanythinginthatroom，andhelaiditinthedraweragain，histhoughtsbeingtakenupwiththenextstepoftheirjourney，andwhatmightbecomingtothemall。
DuringbreakfastJakewashumbleaboutthefrighttheladieshadreceivedinhishouse，explaininghowhethoughthehadactedforthebest；atwhichClallamandMartsaidthatinaroughcountryfolksmustlookforroughdoings，andgetalongaswellastheycan；butElizabethsaidnothing。ThelittlerafttookallbutNancyovertherivertothewagon，wheretheysetaboutdividingtheirbelongingsinloadsthatcouldbefloatedback，oneatatime，andJakereturnedtorepairsomeofthedisorderthatremainedfromthenightatthecabin。JohnandMartpoledthefirstcargoacross，andwhiletheywereontheotherside，Elizabethlookedoutofthewagon，whereshewasworkingalone，andsawfiveIndianriderscomingdownthevalley。Thedusthungintheairtheyhadrushedthrough，andtheyswungapartandclosedagainasshehadseenbefore；soshelookedforarifle；butthefirearmshadgoneovertheOkanagonwiththefirstload。Shegotdownandstoodatthefrontwheelofthewagon，confrontingtheriderswhentheypulleduptheirhorses。Oneclimbedunsteadilyfromhissaddleandswayedtowardsher。
\"Drink！\"saidhe，halffriendly，andheldoutabottle。
Elizabethshookherhead。
\"Drink，\"hegruntedagain，pushingthebottleather。\"Piah—chuck！
Skookurn！\"Hehadaslugglishanimalgrin，andwhenshedrewback，tippedthebottleintohismouth，anddirectlychoked，sothathisfriendsontheirhorseslaughedloudashestoodcoughing。\"Heapgood，\"heremarked，lookingatElizabeth，whowatchedhiseyesswimwiththeplotofthedrink。\"Whereyoucomeback？\"heinquired，touchingthewagon。\"YoucrossOkanagon？Mecrossyou；crosshorses；crossall。Heapcheap。Whatyes？\"
Theothersnodded。\"Heapcheap，\"theysaid。
\"Wedon’twantyou，\"saidElizabeth。
\"Nocross？Maybehegoingcrossyou？Whatyes？\"
AgainElizabethnodded。
\"MaybeheJake？\"pursuedtheIndian。
\"Yes，heis。Wedon’twantyou。\"
\"Wecrossyouallsame。Henot。\"
TheIndianspokeloudandthick，andElizabethlookedovertheriverwhereherhusbandwasrunningwitharifle，andJakebehindhim，holdingawarninghandonhisarm。JakecalledacrosstotheIndians，wholistenedsullenly，butgotontheirhorsesandwentuptheriver。
\"Now，\"saidJaketoClallam，\"theyain’tgone。GetyourwifeoverheresoshekinsetinmyroomtillIseewhatkinbedone。\"
Johnlefthimatonce，andcrossedontheraft。Hiswifewassteppingonit，whenthenoiseandflightofridersdescendedalongtheotherbank，whereJakewaswaiting。Theywentinacircle，withhoarseshouts，roundthecabinasMartwithNancycamefromthepasture。Theboynosoonersawthemthanhecaughthissisterupandcarriedherquicklyawayamongthecorralsandsheds，wherethetwowentoutofsight。
\"Youstayhere，Liza，\"herhusbandsaid。\"I’llgobackover。\"
ButMrs。Clallamlaughed。
\"Getashore，\"hecriedtoher。\"Quick！\"
\"Whereyougo，Igo，John。\"
\"Whatgood，whatgood，inthename——\"
\"ThenI’llgetmyselfover，\"saidshe。Andheseizedherasshewouldhavejumpedintothestream。
Whiletheycrossed，theIndianshadtiedtheirhorsesandrambledintothecabin。JakecamefromittostoptheClallams。
\"They’reafteryourcontract，\"saidhe，quietly。\"Theysaythey’regoingtohavethejoboftakin’thebalanceofyourstuffthat’sleftacrossttheOkanagonovertothisside。\"
\"Whatdidyousay？\"askedMrs。Clallam。
\"Iset’emupdrinkstogaintime。\"
\"Doyouwantmethere？\"saidClallam。
\"Begosh，no！Thatwouldmixthingsworse。\"
\"Can’tyoumakethemgoaway？\"Elizabethinquired。
\"Meandthem，yesee，ma’am，wehevasortofbargainthey’retogitcertainferryin’。Ican’tmake’emsavvyhowItookchargeofyou。Ifyouwantthem——\"Hepaused。
\"Wewantthem！\"exclaimedElizabeth。\"Ifyou’rejoking，it’sapoorjoke。\"
\"Itain’tnojokeatall，ma’am。\"Jake’sfacegrewbrooding。\"Ofcoursefolkskinsaywhothey’llbeferriedby。AndyoumaybelieveI’dratherdoit。Ididn’tlookforjestthiscomplication；butmaybeIkinsteerthrough；andit’smyselfI’vegottothank。Ofcourse，ifthemSiwashesdidgityourjob，they’dsoberupgittin’ready。And——\"
Theemigrantswaited，buthedidnotgoonwithwhatwasinhismind。
\"It’sallright，\"saidhe，inabrisktone。\"Whatever’sa—comin’sa—comin’。\"Heturnedabruptlytowardsthedoor。\"Keepyerselvesawayjestnow，\"headded，andwentinside。
Theparentssoughttheirchildren，findingMarthadconcealedNancyinthehaystack。TheyputMrs。Clallamalsoinaprotectedplace，asaloudaltercationseemedtoberisingatthecabin；thisgrewastheylistened，andJake’ssquawcamerunningtohideherself。Shecouldtellthemnothing，normakethemunderstandmorethantheyknew；butshetouchedJohn’srifle，signingtoknowifitwereloaded，andwasgreatlyrelievedwhenheshowedherthemagazinefullofcartridges。Thequarrellinghadfallensilent，butroseinanewgustoffierceness，soundingasifintheopenairandcomingtheirway。NoIndianappeared，however，andthenoisepassedtotheriver，wheretheemigrantssooncouldhearwoodbeingsplitinpieces。
Johnriskedasurvey。\"It’stheraft，\"hesaid。\"They’resmashingit。Nowthey’regoingback。Staywiththechildren，Liza。\"
\"You’renevergoingtothatcabin？\"shesaid。
\"He’sinascrape，mother。\"
Johnstartedaway，heedlessofhiswife’sdespair。AthiscomingtheIndiansshoutedandsurroundedhim，whileheheardJakesay，\"Dropyourgunanddrinkwiththem。\"
\"Drink！\"saidAndy，laughingwiththesamescreechhehadmadeatthematchgoingout。\"WereallgoingtoCanaan，Connecticut。\"
EachIndianheldatincup，andattheinstantthesewereemptiedtheywerethrusttowardsJake，whofilledthemagain，goingandcomingthroughadoorthatledasteportwodownintoadarkplacewhichwashalfunderground。Oncehewasnotquick，orwasimaginedtoberefusing，foranIndianraisedhiscupanddrunkenlydasheditonJake’shead。Jakelaughedgood—humoredly，andfilledthecup。
\"It’souronechance，\"saidhetoJohnastheIndian，proppinghimselfbyahandonthewall，offeredthewhiskeytoClallam。
\"WecrossyouOkanagon，\"hesaid。\"Whatyes？\"
\"Maybeyousayno？\"saidanother，pressingtheemigranttothewall。
Athirdinterfered，sayingsomethingintheirlanguage，atwhichtheothertwodisagreed。Theytalkedamomentwiththreateningragetillsuddenlyalldrewpistols。Atthisthetworemainingstumbledamongthegroup，andashotwentintotheroof。Jakewasthereinonestepwithakeg，thattheynosoonersawthantheyfelluponit，andtheliquorjettedoutastheyclinched，wrestlingovertheroomtillonelayonhisbackwithhismouthattheopenbung。Itwaswrenchedfromhim，anddirectlytherewasnotadropmoreinit。Theytiltedit，andwhennoneranout，flungthekegoutofdoorsandcrowdedtothedoorofthedarkplace，whereJakebarredtheway。\"Don’ttaketothatyet！\"hesaidtoClallam，forJohnwasliftinghisrifle。
\"Piah—chuck！\"yelledtheIndians，scarcelyabletostand。Allotherthoughthadleftthem，andanewthoughtcametoJake。Hereachedforafreshkeg，whiletheyheldtheirtincupsinthelefthandandpistolsintheright，pushingsoitwasaslowmattertogetthekegopened。Theywerefastnearingthesoddenstage，andonesankonthefloor。Jakeglancedinatthedoorbehindhim，andfilledthecupsonceagain。Whileallweredrinkinghewentinthestore—roomandsetmoreliquoropen，beckoningthemtocomeastheylookedupfromtherimstowhichtheirlipshadbeenglued。Theymovedroundbehindthetable，graspingittokeepontheirfeet，withtheoneonthefloorcrawlingamongthelegsoftherest。Whentheywereallinside，Jakeleapedoutandlockedthedoor。
\"Theykinsleepnow，\"saidhe。\"Gunpowderwon’tbeneeded。Keepwideawayfrominfront。\"
Therewasaminuteofstillnesswithin，andthenagrovelingnoiseandstruggle。Acoupleofbulletscameharmlessthroughthedoor。Thoseinsidefoughttogetheraswellastheycould，whilethoseoutsidelistenedasitgrewless，thebodiesfallingstupefiedwithoutfurthersoundofrising。Oneortwo，stillactive，beganstrikingattheboardswithwhatheavythingtheycouldfind，untilsuddenlythebladeofanaxecrashedthrough。
\"Keepaway！\"criedJake。ButAndyhadleapedinsanelyinfrontofthedoor，andfelldeadwithabulletthroughhim。Withaterriblescream，Jakeflunghimselfattheplace，andpouredsixshotsthroughthepanel；
then，asClallamcaughthim，wrenchedatthelock，andtheysawinside。
Whiskeyandblooddrippedtogether，andnoonewasmovingthere。Itwasliquorwithsome，anddeathwithothers，andallofitlayupontheguiltysoulofJake。
\"Youdeservekillingyourself，\"saidClallam。
\"That’sbeenattendedto，\"repliedJake，andhereeled，forduringhisfiresomeIndianhadshotoncemore。
ClallamsupportedhimtotheroomwherehiswifeandNancyhadpassedthenight，andlaidhimonthebed。\"I’llgetMrs。Clallam，\"saidhe。
\"Ifshe’llbewillin’toseeme，\"saidthewoundedman，humbly。
Shecame，dazedbeyondfeelinganyhorror，orevenanyjoy，andshedidwhatshecould。
\"Itwasseein’’emhitAndy，\"saidJake。\"IsAndygone？Yes，Ikintellhe’sgonefromyourface。\"Heshuthiseyes，andlaystillsolongatimethattheythoughthemightbedyingnow；buthemovedatlength，andlookedslowlyroundthewalltillhesawtheprintofthevillageamongtheelmsandthecoveredbridge。Hishandliftedtoshowthemthis。
\"That’stheroad，\"saidhe。\"Andyandmeusedtogofishin’acrosstthatbridge。DidyoueverseetheHousatonicRiver？I’vefishedalotthere。
Cornwall，Connecticut。Thehillsareprettythere。ThenAndygotworse。
Youlookinthatdrawer。\"Johnremembered，andwhenhegotoutthetintype，Jakestretchedforiteagerly。\"Hismotherandhim，ageten，\"heexplainedtoElizabeth，andhelditforhertosee，thenstudiedthefacesinsilence。\"Youkintellit’sAndy，can’tyu’？\"Shetoldhimyes。
\"Thatwasbeforeweknowedheweren’t——weren’tgoin’togrowupliketheotherboysheplayedwith。Soafterawhile，whenshewasgone，Igotashamedseein’Andy’sfriendsmakin’theirwaywhenhecouldn’tseemto，andsoItookhimawaywherenobodyhedeverbeenacquaintedwithus。I
waslayin’moneybytogethimthebestdoctorinEurope。I’ain’tbeenagoodman。\"
Afaintnessmasteredhim，andElizabethwouldhaveputthepictureonthetable，buthishandclosedroundit。Theylethimlieso，andElizabethsatthere，whileJohn，withMart，keptNancyawaytillthehorrorintheouterroomwasmadeinvisible。Theycameandwentquietly，andJakeseemedinadeepeningtorpor，onceonlyrousingsuddenlytocallhisson’sname，andthen，uponlookingfromonetotheother，herecollected，andhiseyesclosedagain。Hismindwandered，butverylittle，fortorporseemedtobeovercominghim。Thesquawhadstolenin，andsatcoweringanduseless。TowardssundownJohn’sheartsickenedatthesoundofmorehorsemen；butitwasonlytwowhitemen，asheriffandhisdeputy。
\"Goeasy，\"saidJohn。\"He’snotgoingtoresist。\"
\"What’suphere，anyway？Whoareyou？\"
Clallamexplained，andwasevidentlynotsomuchashalfbelieved。
\"IfthereareIndianskilled，\"saidthesheriff，\"there’sstillanothermatterforthelawtosettlewithhim。We’resenttosearchforwhiskey。
Thecounty’sabouttiredofhim。\"
\"You’llfindhimprettysick，\"saidJohn。
\"PeopleIfindalwaysareprettysick，\"saidthesheriff，andpushedhiswayin，stoppingatsightofMrs。Clallamandthefigureonthebed。\"I’marrestingthatman，madam，\"hesaid，withashadeofapology。\"Thecountycourtwantshim。\"
Jakesatupandknewthesheriff。\"You’realittlelate，Proctor，\"saidhe。\"TheSupremeCourt’sa—goin’tocallmycase。\"Thenhefellback，forhiscasehadbeencalled。
Hank’sWomanI
Manyfishwerestillinthepool；andthoughluckseemedtohaveleftme，stillIstoodattheendofthepoint，castingandcastingmyvainline，whiletheVirginianlayandwatched。Noonday’sextremebrightnesshadlefttheriverandtheplainincoolingshadow，butspreadandglowedovertheyetundimmedmountains。Westward，theTetonsliftedtheirpeakspaleandkeenassteelthroughthehigh，radiantair。Deepdownbetweenthebluegashesoftheircanonsthesunsanklongshaftsoflight，andtheglazedlapsoftheirsnow—fieldsshoneseparateandwhiteupontheirloftyvastness，likehandkerchiefslaidouttodry。Opposite，abovethevalley，rosethatotherrange，theContinentalDivide，notsharp，butlongandample。Itwasbareinsomehighplaces，andbelowtheseitstretchedeverywhere，highandlow，inbrownandyellowparks，orinpurplemilesofpineaworldofsereneundulations，agreatsweetcountryofsilence。
Apassingbandofantelopestoodherdedsuddenlytogetheratsightofus；
thenalittlebreezeblewforamomentfromustothem，andtheydriftedlikephantomsaway，andwerelostinthelevelsofthesage—brush。
\"Ifhumanscoulddolikethat，\"saidtheVirginian，watchingthemgo。
\"Run，youmean？\"saidI。
\"Tellafoebythesmellofhim，\"explainedthecow—puncher；\"atfiftyyards——oramile。\"
\"Yes，\"Isaid；\"menwouldbehardtocatch。\"
\"Awomanneedsitmost，\"hemurmured。Helaydownagaininhisloungingsprawl，withhisgraveeyesintentlyfixeduponmyfly—casting。
Thegradualdaymountedupthehillsfartherfromthefloorofearth。
Warmairseddiedinitswakeslowly，stirringthescentsoftheplaintogether。IlookedattheSoutherner；andtherewasnoguessingwhathisthoughtsmightbeatworkuponbehindthatdrowsyglance。Thenforamomentatroutrose，butonlytolookandwhipdownagainintothepoolthatwedgeditscalmintotherifflefrombelow\"Secondthoughts，\"musedtheVirginian；andasthetroutcamenomore，\"Secondthoughts，\"herepeated；\"andevenafishwillhavethemsoonerthanfolkshastheminthismightyhastycountry。\"Andherolledoverintoanewpositionofease。
Atwhomorwhatwasheaimingtheseshaftsoftruth？Ordidhemoralizemerelybecausehealthandtheweatherhadsteepedhiminthatserenitywhichliftsusamongthespheres？Well，sometimeshewentonfromthesebeginningsandtoldmewonderfulthings。
\"Ireckon，\"saidhe，presently，\"thatknowingwhentochangeyourmindwouldbeprettynearknowledgeenoughforplainpeople。\"
Sincemyacquaintancewithhim——thiswasthesecondsummerofit——Ihadcometounderstandhimenoughtoknowthathewasunfathomable。Still，foramomentitcrossedmythoughtsthatperhapsnowhewasdiscoursingabouthimself。HehadallowedajealousforemantofalloutwithhimatSunkCreekranchinthespring，duringJudgeHenry’sabsence。Theman，havingabriefauthority，partedwithhim。TheSouthernerhadchosenthatthisshouldbethemeansofultimatelygettingtheforemandismissedandhimselfrecalled。Itwasstrategic。Asheputittome：\"WhenIamgone，itwillberighteasyfortheJudgetoseewhichofustwohewants。AndI’llnothavedoneanytalking。\"Allofwhichdulybefellintheautumnashehadplanned：theforemanwassentoff，hisassistantpromoted，andtheVirginianagainhired。Butthiswasmeanwhile。Hewasindulginghimselfinaseveralmonths’drifting，andwhilethusdriftinghehadwrittentome。Thatishowwetwocametobeonourwayfromtherailroadtohunttheelkandthemountain—sheep，andwerepausingtofishwhereBuffaloForkjoinsitswaterswithSnakeRiver。Inthosedaystheantelopestillranthereinhundreds，theYellowstoneParkwasanewthing，andmankindlivedveryfaraway。SincemeetingmewiththehorsesinIdahotheVirginianhadbeensilent，evenforhim。SonowIstoodcastingmyfly，andtrustingthathewasnottroubledwithsecondthoughtsoverhisstrategy。
\"Haveyu’studdedmuchaboutmarriage？\"henowinquired。Hisseriouseyesmetmineashelaystretchedalongtheground。
\"Notmuch，\"Isaid；\"notverymuch。\"
\"Let’sswim，\"hesaid。\"Theyhavechangedtheirminds。\"
Forthwithweshookoffourbootsanddroppedourfewclothes，andheedlessofwhatfishwemightnowdriveaway，wewentintothecool，slow，deepbreadthofbackwaterwhichthebendmakesjustthere。Ashecameupnearme，shakinghisheadofblackhair，thecowpuncherwassmilingalittle。
\"Notthatanynumberofbaths，\"heremarked，\"wouldconcealaman’sobjectionablenessfromanantelope——notevenashe—one。\"
Thenhewentunderwater，andcameupagainalongwayoff。
Wedriedbeforethefire，withouthaste。Toneednoclothesisbetterthanpurpleandfinelinen。Thenhetossedtheflap—jacks，andIservedthetrout，andafterthiswelayonourbacksuponabuffalo—hidetosmokeandwatchtheTetonsgrowmoresolemn，asthelargestarsopenedoutoverthesky。
\"Idon’tcareifInevergohome，\"saidI。
TheVirginiannodded。\"Itgivesallthepeaceo’beingasleepwithallthepleasureo’feelingthewidestkindofawake，\"saidhe。\"Yu’mightsaythewholeyear’sstrengthflowsheartyineverywaggleofyourthumb。\"Welaystillforawhile。\"Howmanythingssurpriseyu’anymore？\"henextasked。
Ibeganconsidering；buthissilencehadatlengthworkedroundtospeech。
\"Inventions，ofcourse，\"saidhe，\"thesehyehtelephonesan’truckyu’
seesomuchaboutinthepapers——butIain’tspeakingo’suchthingsofthebrain。ItisjustthecommonthingsImean。Thethingsthatalivin’，noticin’manisliabletoseeandmaybesampleforhimself。Howmanyo’
themkindcansurpriseyu’still？\"
Istillconsidered。
\"Mosteverythingsurprisedmeonced，\"thecow—punchercontinued，inhisgentleSouthernvoice。\"Imusthavebeenamightygreenboy。TillIwasfourteenorfifteenIexpectIwasastonishedbyteno’clockeverymorning。Butamanbeginstoketchontofolksandthingsafterawhile。
Idon’tconsidehthatwhen——thataftehamanis，saytwenty—five，itiscreditableheshouldgetastonishedtooeasy。Andsoyu’venotexaminedyourselfthat—away？\"
Ihadnot。
\"Well，there’stwothingsanyway——Iknowthemforsure——thatIexpectwillalwaysgetme——don’tcareifIlivetothirty—five，orforty—five，oreighty。Andone’sthewayslightningcanstrike。\"Hepaused。Thenhegotupandkickedthefire，andstoodbyit，staringatme。\"Andtheotheristhepeoplethatotherpeoplewillmarry。\"
Hestoppedagain；andIsaidnothing。
\"Thepeoplethatotherpeoplewillmarry，\"herepeated。\"ThatwillsurprisemetillIdie。\"
\"Ifmysympathy——\"Ibegan。
Butthebriefsoundthathegavewasanswerenough，andmorethanenoughcureformylevity。
\"No，\"saidhe，reflectively；\"notanysuchthingasafam’lyforme，yet。
Never，itmaybe。NottillIcan’thelpit。Andthatwomanhasnotcomealongsofar。ButIhavebeensorryforawomanlately。Ikeepthinkingwhatshewilldo。Forshewillhavetodosomething。Doyu’knowAustrians？Aretheyquickintheirfeelings，likeI—talians？Oraretheyapttobesluggish，sameasNorwegiansandthemotherDutch—speakin’
races？\"
ItoldhimwhatlittleIknewaboutAustrians。
\"ThiswomanisthefirstIhaveeversawof’em，\"hecontinued。\"OfcoursemenwillstampedeintomarriageinthishyehWesterncountry，whereawomanisascantything。Itain’twhatHankhasdonethatsurprisesme。Anditisnotonhimthatthesorrowwillfall。Forsheisgood。Sheisverygood。Doyu’rememberlittleblackHank？FromTexasheclaimsheis。HewasworkingonthemainditchoveratSunkCreeklastsummerwhenthatEm’lyhenwasaround。Well，seh，yu’wouldnothavepleasuredinhiscompany。AndthisyearHankisplacer—miningonGalenaCreek，wherewe’lllikelygoforsheep。There’sHoneyWigginandayoungfello’namedLinMcLean，andsomeothersalongwiththeoutfit。ButHank’swomanwillnotlookatanyofthem，thoughtheMcLeanboyisalikelyhand。Ihaveseenthat；forIhavedonearightsmarto’businessthat—a—waymyself，hereandthere。Shewillmendtheirclothesforthem，andshewillcooklunchesforthemanytimeo’day，andherconductgavethemhopesatthestart。ButIreckonAustrianshavegoodreligion。\"
\"NobetterthanAmericans，\"saidI。
ButtheVirginianshookhishead。\"Better’nwhatI’vesawanyAmericanshave。OfcourseIamnotjudgingawholenationbyonecitizen，andespeciallyherawoman。AndofcourseinthembigAustriantownsthefolkshasshooktheirvirtuoussayin’sloosefromtheirdailydoin’s，sameaswehave。Iexpectsellingyourselfbringsthequickestreturnstomanorwomanalltheworldover。ButIamspeakin’notoftowns，butofthebackcountry，wherefolksdon’tjustmerelyarriveonthecyars，butcomeintotheworldthenaturalway，andgrowupslow。Oncedaweekanywaytheyseethebunchofoldgrave—stonesthatmarkstheirfam’ly。
Theirbloodandnameareknowedaboutintheneighborhood，andit’snotoftenoneofsuchwillsellthemselves。Buttheirreligionain’ttothemlikethiswoman’s。Theycanberip—snortin’or’tn’aryinways。Nowsheisgettingnaughtbuthindranceandtemptationandmeannessfromherhusbandandeverylivin’thingaroundher——yetshekeepsrightalong，nordoesshemostlybearanysignsinherface。Shehascert’nlycomefromwheretheyareusedtobelievinginGodandahereaftermightyhard，andalldaylong。Shehasgotoneo’themcrucifixes，andHankcan’tmakeherquitprayin’toit。Butwhatisshegoingtodo？\"
\"Hewillprobablyleaveher，\"Isaid。
\"Yes，\"saidtheVirginian——\"leaveher。Alone；hermoneyallspent；
knowin’maybetwentywordsofEnglish；andthousandsofmilesawayfromeverythingshecanunderstand。Forourwordsandwaysisallalikestrangetoher。\"
\"Thenwhydidhewantsuchaperson？\"Iexclaimed。
Therewassurpriseinthegraveglancewhichthecow—punchergaveme。
\"Why，anymanwould，\"heanswered。\"Iwantedhermyself，tillIfoundshewasgood。\"
Ilookedatthissonofthewilderness，standingthoughtfulandsplendidbythefire，andunconsciousofhisownreligionthathadunexpectedlyshoneforthintheselastwords。ButIsaidnothing；forwordstoointimate，especiallywordsofesteem，puthiminvariablytosilence。
\"Ihadforgottomentionherlookstoyu’。\"hepursued，simply。\"Sheisfitforaman。\"Hestoppedagain。
\"ThentherewasherwagesthatHanksawpaidtoher，\"heresumed。\"AndsomarriagewasbutalittlethingtoHank——agaynstsuchaheapofadvantages。Asforherideaintakin’suchashim——maybeitwasthathewassmallandshewasbig；tallandbig。Ormaybeitwasjusthiswhiteteeth。Themridiculousreasonswillbringawomantoaman，haven’tyu’
noticed？Butmaybeitwasjusthersorrowful，helplessstate，leftstrandedasshewas，andhimkeepinghimselfnearherandsoberforaweek。
\"Ihadbeenseein’thishyehYellowstonePark，takin’initsgeysers，andthisandthat，formyenjoyment；andwhenIfoundwhattheyclaimedaboutitsstrangesightstobeprettynearso，IlandedupatGalenaCreektowatchtheboysprospectin’。HoneyWiggin，yu’know，andMcLean，andtherest。AndsotheygotmetogodownwithHanktoGardnerforflourandsugarandtruck，whichwehadtowaitfor。WelayaroundtheMammothSpringsandGardnerforthreedays，playin’cyardswithfriends。AndI
gotplumbinterestedinthemtourists。ForIhadpartlyforgotaboutEasternpeople。Andhyehtheycamefresheverydaytoremindamanofthegreatsizeofhiscountry。Mostalwaystheywouldtalktoyu’ifyu’gave’emthechance；andIdid。Ihavecomemightynighregrettin’thatIdidnotkeepatallyofthequestionsthemfolksaskedme。Andastheyseemedgenu—winelyanxioustobelieveanythingatall，andtheworserthethingthebelievingerthey’dgrow，whyI——well，there’stimeswhenIhavegottolietokeepingoodhealth。
\"SoIfooledandIfooled。AndonenoonIwasonthefrontpoachofthebighoteltheyhaveopenedattheMammothSpringsfortourists，andthehotelkid，bein’onthewatchout，heseesthedustcomin’upthehill，andheyellsout，’Stage！’
\"Yu’venotsawthathotelyet，seh？Well，whenthekidsays’Stage，’theconsequencesismostsudden。Aboutasconspicuous，yu’maysay，aswhenOldFaithfulGeyserletsloose。Yu’see，onebatcho’touristspullsoutrightafterbreakfastforNorrisBasin，leavin’thingsemptyandyawnin’。
Bynoonthewholehoteloutfithasbeenslumberin’initschairssteadyforthreehours。Maybeyu’mighthearaflybuzz，butmaybenot。
Everything’sliabletoberestin’，barrin’thekid。He’sa—watchin’out。
Thenheseesthedust，andhesays’Stage！’andittouchesthefolksofflikeahotpokeh。TheSyndicatemanagerhelopestoalookin’glass，andthenorganizeshimselfbehindthebook；andtheyoungphotographchapbouncesouto’hisprivatedoorlikeoneo’themcuckooclocks；andthefossilmanclawshisspecimensandcuriositiesintoshape，andtheporterslineupsameasparade，andawaygoesthepianoandfiddlesup—stairs。Itismightyconspicuous。SoHankhecomerennin’outfromsomewherestoo，andthestagedrivesup。
\"Thenoutgetsatallwoman，andInoticedheryello’hair。Shewaskindo’dumb—eyed，yetfinetosee。IreckonHanknoticedhertoo，rightaway。
Andrightawayhertroublebegins。Forshewasalady’smaid，andherladywasoutofthestageandroundin’herupquick。Andit’s’Wherehaveyouputthekeys，Willomene？’Theladywasrichandstinkin’
lookin’，andhadcomefromNewYawkinherhusband’sprivatecyar。
\"Well，Willomenefussedaroundinherpockets，andthemkeyswasnotthere。SoshestartedexplainingintanglefootEnglishtoherladyhowherladymusthavetookthemfromherbeforeleavin’thecyar。Buttheladyseemedtorelishhustlin’herselfintoarage。Shegottolerableconspicuous，too。Andafteraheapo’words，’Youaredischarged，’shesays；andoffshestruts。SoonherhusbandcameouttoWillomene，stillstandin’likestatuary，andhepaysheragoodsumofcash，andhegoesaway，andshekeepsastandingyetforaspell。ThenallofasuddenshesayssomethingIreckonwas’O，Jesus，’andsitsdownandstartsacryin’。
\"Iwouldliketohavegivenhercomfort。Butweallstoodaroundonthehotelpoach，andtherightthingwouldnotcomeintomyhaid。Thenthebaggage—wagoncameinfromCinnabar，andtheyhadpickedthekeysupontheroadbetweenCinnabarandGardner。Sotheladyandhertoiletwasrescued，butthatdidnogoodtoWillomene。Theystoodhertrunkdownalongwiththerest——abrass—nailedlittleoldconcern——andtherewasWillomeneoutofajobandafootalong，longwaysfromherownrange；
andsoshekeptsitting，andoncedinawhileshe’dcrysomemore。WegotheraroominthecheaphotelwheretheParkdriverssleepswhenthey’reinattheSprings，andsheactedgratefullike，thankingtheboysinhertanglefootEnglish。Nextmawnin’herfolksdruvoffinaprivateteamtoNorrisBasin，andsheseemeddazed。ForItalkedwithherthen，andquestionedherastoherwishes，butshecouldnotsaywhatshewished，norifitwasEastorWestshewouldgo；andIreckonshewastoostrickentohavewishes。
\"OurstuffforGalenaCreekdelayedontherailroad，andIgottoknowher，andthenIquitgivin’Hankcauseforjealousy。Ikeptmyselfwiththeboys，andIplayedmorecyards，whileHankhesca’celyplayedatall。
OnenightIcameonthem——HankandWillomene——walkin’amongthepineswheretheroadgoesdownthehill。Yu’shouldhavesawthatpairo’
lovers。Herbigshapewasplainandkindo’steadfastinthemoon，andalongsideofherlittleblackHank！Andthereitwas。Ofcourseitain’tnothingtobesurprisedatthatameanandtriflin’mantriestoseemwhatheisnotwhenhewantstopleaseagoodwoman。Butwhydoesshegetfooled，whenit’ssoplaintootherfolksthatarenotgivin’itanyspecialthought？AlltherestofthemenandwomenattheMammothunder—
stoodHank。Theyknowedhewasaworthlessproposition。AndIcert’nlyreliedonhisgettin’backtohiswhiskeyandopenin’hereyesthatway。
Buthedidnot。ImetthemnexteveningagainbytheLibertyCap。Sup—
posin’I’dbeenherbrotherorhermother，whatusewasitmewarningher？Brothersandmothersdon’tgetbelieved。
\"TherailroadbroughtthestuffforGalenaCreek，andHankwouldnotlookatitonaccountofhiscourtin’。ItookitalonemyselfbyYancey’sandthesecondbridgeandMillerCreektothecamp，norIdidn’ttellWillomenegood—bye，forIhadgotdisgustedatherblindness。\"
TheVirginianshiftedhisposition，andjerkedhisoverallstoamorecomfortablefit。Thenhecontinued：
\"TheywasmarriedtheTuesdayafteratLivingston，andHankmusthavebeenpow’fulpleasedathimself。ForhegaveWillomeneaweddingpresent，withthebalanceofhiscash，spendinghislastnickelonbuyingherared—tailedparrottheyhadforsaleattheFirstNationalBank。Theson—of—a—gunholladsofreelyatthebank，thepresidentawde’dthecashiertogetshedoftheout—ragiousbird，orhewouldwringitsneck。
\"SoHankandWillomenestayedaweekupinLivingstononhermoney，andthenhefetchedherbacktoGardner，andboughttheirgrub，andbrideandgroomcameuptothecampwehadonGalenaCreek。
\"Shehadneverslep’outbefore。Shehadneverbeenonahawss，neither。
AndshemightynearrolledoffdownintoPitchstoneCanyon，comin’upbythecut—offtrail。Why，seh，Iwouldnotwillinglytakeyouthroughthatplace，exceptyu’promisedmeyu’wouldleadyourhawsswhenIsaidto。
ButHanktakesthewomanhehadmarried，andhetakesheavy—loadedpack—hawsses。’Tisthefirsttimesuchathinghasbeenknownofinthecountry。Yu’rememberthembigtallgrass—toppedmountainsoverintheHoodoocountry，andhowtheydescendsslamdownthroughthecross—timberthatyu’can’tscatcelyworkthroughafoot，tilltheypitchesoverintolotsan’lotso’littlecanyons，withmaybetwoinchesofwaterrunnin’inthebottom？AllthatisEastForkwater，andoverthedivideisClark’sFork，orStinkin’Water，ifyu’takethecountryyondehtothesoutheast。
Butanyplaceyu’goisthemundesirablesteepslopes，andthecut—offtrailtakesalongabouttheworstinthebusiness。
\"Well，Hankhegothisoutfitoveritsomehow，and，gentlemen，hush！butyu’doughtt’veseenhimandthatpoorgirlpullintoourcamp。Yu’dcert’nlyneverhaveconjecturedthemtwowasaweddin’journey。Hewasleadin’，butskewedaroundinhissaddletojawbackatWillomeneforridingsoignorant。Supposeitwasathingshewasresponsiblefor，yu’dnothavetalkedtoherthat—a—wayeveninprivate；andhyehwasthecampa—lookin’，anda—listenin’，andsomeofusashamed。Shewassettingstraddlewayslikeamountain，andbetweenhimandherwentthethreepackanimals，plumbshiverin’playedout，andtheflour——theyhadtwohundredpounds——tiltedoverhellwards，withthered—tailedparrotshoutin’landslidesinhiscagetiedontopo’theleanin’sacks。
\"Itwasthatmeantosee，thatshamelessandunkind，thatevenathoughtlesskidliketheMcLeanboyfeltoffended，andfavorabletosomesortofremonstrance。’Theson—of—a——！’hesaidtome。’Theson—of—a——！
Ifhedon’tstop，let’sstophim。’AndIreckonwemighthave。
\"ButHankhequit。’Twasplaintoseehe’dgotagenu—winescarecomin’
throughPitchstoneCanyon，anditturnedhimsour，sohe’dhardlytalktous，butjustmumbled’How！’kindo’gruff，whentheboyscomeuptocon—
gratulatehimastohismarriage。
\"ButWillomene，shesayswhenshesawme，’Oh，Iamsoglad！’andweshookhandsrightfriendly。AndIwishedI’dtoldhergood—byethatdayattheMammoth。Forsheborenospite，andmaybeIhadforgotherfeelingsinthinkin’ofmyown。IhadtalkedtoherdownattheMammothatfirst，yu’know，andshesaidawordaboutoldfriends。Ourfriendshipwasthreeweeksoldthatday，butIexpecthernewexperienceslookedlikeyearstoher。Andshetoldmehownearshecometogettin’killed。
\"Yu’ain’teverbeenoverthattrail，seh？Yu’cert’nlymustseePitchstoneCanyon。Butwe’llnotgotherewithpacks。Andwewillgetoffourhawssesagoodwaysback。Formanyanimalsfeelsthatthere’ssomethingthematterwiththatplace，andtheyactverystrangeaboutit。
\"TheGrandCanyonisgrand，andmakesyu’feelgoodtolookatit，andageyserisgrandandallright，too。ButthishyehPitchstonehole，ifWillomenehadwentdownintothat——well，I’lltellyu’，thatyoumayjudge。
\"Sheseenthetraila—drawin’nearerandnearertheaidge，betweenthetimberandthejumpin’—offplace，andsheseenhowthemlittleloosestonesandthecrumblestuffwouldslideandslideawayunderthehawss’sfeet。Shecouldhearthestuffrattlin’continuallyfromhissteps，andwhensheturnedherhaidtolook，sheseenitgoin’downclosebesideher，butintowhatitwentshecouldnotsee。Only，therewasaqueersteamwouldcomeupnowandagayn，andherhawsstrembled。Soshetriedtogetoffandwalkwithoutsayin’nothin’toHank。Hekep’onahaid，andherhawssshehadpulledupstartedtofollo’asshewashalfoffhim，andthatgaveheratumble，buttherewasanoldcrookeddeadtree。Itgrowedrightouto’theaidge。Thereshehung。
\"Downbelowisalittlegreenwatertricklin’，greenasthestuffthatgetsonbrass，andtricklin’alongoversoftcream—coloredformation，likepie。Anditain’tsofartofallbutwhatamanmightnotbetoomuchhurtforcrawlin’out。Butthereain’tnocrawlin’outo’PitchstoneCanyon，theysay。Downinthereiscavesthatyu’cannotsee。’Tisthemthatcoughsupthestreamnowandagayn。Withthewindyu’cansmell’emamileaway，andinthenightIhavebeenlayin’quietandheard’em。Notthatit’sabignoise，evenwhenamaniscloseup。It’safluffykindofasigh。Butitsoundsasifsomeawfulthingwasa—makin’itdeepdowninthegutsoftheworld。Theyclaimthere’spoisonaircomesouto’thecavesandlayslowalongthewater。Theyclaimifabearoranelkstraysinfrombelow，andthecavessetsuptheircoughin’，whichtheydon’tregulareveryday，theanimalsdie。Ihaveseenitcomeintwoseconds。
Andwhenitcomesthat—a—wayrisin’uponyu’withthatfluffykindofasigh，yu’feelmightylonesome，seh。
\"SoHankhehappenedtolookbackandseeWillomenehangin’attheaidgeo’themblackrocks。Andhisscaremadehimmad。Andhismadstayedwithhimtilltheycomeintocamp。Shelookedaround，andwhensheseenHank’stentthathimandherwastosleepinsheshowedsurprise。Andheshowedsurprisewhenheseethebreadshecooked。
\"’WhatkindofaDutchwomanareyu’，’sayshe，strainin’forajoke，’ifyu’can’tuseaDutch—oven？’
\"’Yousaytomeyouhaveahousetolivein，’saysWillomene。’Whereisthathouse？’
\"’Ididnotfigureongettin’awomanwhenIleftcamp，’saysHank，grinnin’，butnotpleasant，’orI’dhavehurriedupwiththeshackI’mabuildin’。’
\"Hewasbuildin’one。WhenIleftGalenaCreekandcomeawayfromthatcountrytomeetyou，thehousewasfinishedenoughforthecoupletomovein。Iheftedherbrass—nailedtrunkupthehillfromtheirtentmyself，andIwatchedhertakeouthercrucifix。Butshewouldnotletmehelpherwiththat。She’dnotletmetouchit。She’dfixeditupagaynstthewallherownselfherownway。ButsheacceptedsomeflowersIpicked，andsettheminacanfrontofthecrucifix。ThenHankhecomein，andseein’，saystome，’Areyouoneofthekindthatsquatsbeforethemsillydolls？’’Iwouldtellyu’，Iansweredhim；’butitwouldnotinter—estyu’。’AndIclearedout，andlefthimandWillomenetobegintheirhousekeepin’。
\"Alreadytheyhadquithavin’muchtosaytoeachotherdownintheirtent。Theonlysteadytalkin’doneinthathousewasdonebytheparrot。
I’veneversawanygoahaidofthatbird。Ihavetoldyu’aboutHank，andhowwhenhe’dcomehomeandseeherprayin’tothatcrucifixhe’dalwaysgetriledup。Hewouldmentionitfreelytotheboys。Notthatsheneglectedhim，yu’know。Shedoneherpart，workin’mightyhard，forshewasawillin’woman。Buthecouldnotmakeherquitherreligion；andWillomeneshehadgottobein’verysilentbeforeIcomeaway。Sheusedtotalktomesomeatfirst，butshedroppedit。Idon’tknowwhy。I
expectmaybeitwashardforhertohaveusthatcloseincamp，witnessin’hertroubleseveryday，andsheaforeigner。Ireckonifshegotanycomfort，itwouldbewhenwewasoffprospectin’orhuntin’，andshecouldshutthecabindoorandbealone。\"
TheVirginianstoppedforamoment。
\"ItwillsoonbeamonthsinceIleftGalenaCreek，\"heresumed。\"ButI
cannotgetthebusinessouto’myhaid。Ikeepastudyin’overit。\"
Histalkwasdone。Hehadunburdenedhismind。Nightlaydeepandquietaroundus，withnosoundfarornear，saveBuffaloForkplashingoveritsriffle。
II
WeleftSnakeRiver。WewentupPacificCreek，andthroughTwoOceanPass，anddownamongthewaterywillow—bottomsandbeaverdamsoftheUpperYellowstone。Wefished；weenjoyedexistencealongthelake。ThenwewentoverPelicanCreektrailandcamesteeplydownintothegiantcountryofgrasstoppedmountains。Atdawnanddusktheelkhadbeguntocallacrossthestillness。AndonemorningintheHoodoocountry，wherewewerelookingforsheep，wecameroundajutofthestrange，organ—pipeformationuponalongleggedboyofaboutnineteen，alsohunting。
\"Stillhyeh？\"saidtheVirginian，withoutemotion。
\"Iguessso，\"returnedtheboy，equallymatter—of—fact。\"Yu’seemtobearoundyourself，\"headded。
Theymighthavebeennext—doorneighbors，meetinginatownstreetforthesecondtimeinthesameday。
TheVirginianmademeknowntoMr。LinMcLean，whogavemeabriefnod。
\"Anyluck？\"heinquired，butnotofme。
\"Oh，\"drawledtheVirginian，\"luckenough。\"
Knowingthewaysofthecountry，Isaidnoword。Itwasbootlesstointerrupttheirownmethodsofgettingatwhatwasreallyinboththeirminds。
Theboyfixedhiswide—openhazeleyesuponme。\"Fineweather，\"hementioned。
\"Veryfine，\"saidI。
\"Iseenyourhorsesawhileago，\"hesaid。\"Campfarfromhere？\"heaskedtheVirginian。
\"Notspecially。Stayandeatwithus。We’vegotelkmeat。\"
\"That’swhatI’mafterforcamp，\"saidMcLean。\"Allofusisoutonahuntto—day——excepthim。\"
\"Howmanyareyu’now？\"
\"Thewholesix。\"
\"Makin’money？\"
\"Oh，somedaysthegoldwashesoutgoodinthepan，andothersit’sthatfineit’llfloatoffwithoutsettlin’。\"
\"SoHankain’thuntin’to—day？\"
\"Huntin’！Welefthimlayin’outinthatclumpo’brushbelowtheircabin。
Beendrinkin’allnight。\"
TheVirginianbrokeoffapieceoftheHoodoomud—rockfromtheweirderodedpillarthatwestoodbeside。Hethrewitintoabankoflastyear’ssnow。Weallwatcheditasifitwereimportant。Upthroughthemountainsilencepiercedthelongquiveringwhistleofabull—elk。Itwaslikeanunearthlysingerpractisinganunearthlyscale。
\"Firsttimesheheardthat，\"saidMcLean，\"shewasscared。\"
\"Nothin’maybetoresembleitinAustria，\"saidtheVirginian。
\"That’sso，\"saidMcLean。\"That’sso，youbet！Nothin’justlikeHankoverthere，neither。\"
\"Well，fleshismostlyfleshinalllands，Ireckon，\"saidtheVirginian。
\"Iexpectyu’canbedrunkanddisorderlyineverylanguage。ButanAustrianHankwouldbeliabletorespecthercrucifix。\"\"
\"That’sso！\"
\"Heain’tmadeherquitityet？\"
\"Nothim。Buthe’sgotmeaner。\"
\"Drunkthismawnin’，yu’say？\"
\"That’shismostharmlessconditionnow。\"
\"Nobody’sincampbutthemtwo？Herandhimalone？\"
\"Oh，hedassenttouchher。\"
\"Whodidhetellthatto？\"
\"Oh，thecampisbackin’her。Thecamphasexplainedthattohimseveraltimes，youbet！Andwhat’smore，shehasgottheupperhandofhimherself。Shehashimbeat。\"
\"Howbeat？\"
\"Shehasdownedhimwithhereye。Justbyendurin’himpeacefully；andwithhereye。I’vesawit。Thingschangedsomeafteryu’pulledout。Wehadagoodcrowdstill，anditwaspleasant，andnottoolivelynoryettooslow。AndWillomene，shecomemoreamongus。She’dnotstayshutin—doors，likeshedoneatfirst。I’dhaveliketo’veshowedherhowtopunishHank。\"
\"Aftehshehaddownedyu’withhereye？\"inquiredtheVirginian。
YoungMcLeanreddened，andthrewafurtivelookuponme，thestranger，theoutsider。\"Oh，well，\"hesaid，\"Idonenothingonusual。Butthat’salldifferentnow。Allofuslikesherandrespectsher，andmakesallowancesforherbein’Dutch。Yu’can’thelpbutrespecther。Andsheshowssheknows。\"
\"IreckonmaybesheknowshowtodealwithHank，\"saidtheVirginian。
\"Shucks！\"saidMcLean，scornfully。Andhersobigandhimsopuny！She’doughttolifthimofftheearthwithonearmandlamhimwithabasteortwowiththeother，andhe’dimprove。\"
\"Maybethat’swhyshedon’t，\"musedtheVirginian，slowly；\"becausesheissobig。Biginthespirit，Imean。She’dnotstooptohislevel。Don’tyu’seesheiskindo’wayupabovehimandcampandeverything——justherandhercrucifix？\"
\"Herandhercrucifix！\"repeatedyoungLinMcLean，staringatthisinterpretation，whichwasbeyondhislivelyunderstanding。\"Herandhercrucifix。Turrublelonesomecompany！Well，themarethingsyu’don’tknowabout。Ikindo’laughedmyselfthefirsttimeIseenheratit。Hank，hesaystomesoft，’Comehere，Lin，’andIpeepedinwhereshewasa—prayin’。Sheseenustwo，butshedidn’tquit。SoIquit，andHankcamewithme，sayin’toughwordsaboutit。Yes，themarethingsyu’suredon’tknowabout。What’sthematterwithyoucampingwithusboystonight？\"
Wehadbeengoingtovisitthemthenextday。Wemadeitto—day，instead。
AndMr。McLeanhelpeduswithourpacks，andwecarriedourwelcomeintheshapeofelkmeat。Soweturnedourfacesdownthegrass—toppedmountainstowardsGalenaCreek。Once，farthroughanopengapawaybelowus，wesightedthecabinwiththehelpofourfield—glasses。
\"Pitywecan’tmakeoutHanksleepin’inthatbrush，\"saidMcLean。
\"Hehasprobablygoneintothecabinbynow，\"saidI。
\"Nothim！Heprefersthebrushalldaywhenhe’sthatdrunk，youbet！\"
\"Afraidofher？\"
\"Well——oneasyinherpresence。Notthatshe’sliabletobeintherenow。
Shedon’tstayinsidenowadayssomuch。She’sbeencomin’roundtheditch，silent—likebutfriendly。Andshe’llwatchusworkin’foraspell，andthenshe’sapttomoveoffaloneintothewoods，singin’themDutchsongsofhernthatain’tgotnotoon。I’vemetherwalkin’thatway，tallandearnest，lotsoftimes。Butshedon’twantyourcompany，thoughshe’llpatchyouroverallsandgiveyu’lunchalways。Norshewon’ttakepay。\"
Thusweproceededdownfromtheopensummitsintotheclosepines；andwhilewemadeourwayamongthecross—timberandoverthelittlestreams，McLeantoldusofvariousdaysandnightsatthecamp，andhowHankhadcometoventinghiscowardiceuponhiswife’sfaith。
\"Why，heinformedheronedaywhenhewasgoin’takehisdusttotown，thatifhecomebackandfoundthatthinginthehouse，he’ddoitupforher。’Soyu’betterpackoffyourwoodendummysomewheres，’sayshe。Andshejustlookedathimkindo’stone—likeandsolemn。Forshedon’tcareforhiswordsnomore。
\"Andwhilehewasawayshe’dhaveusallintosupperupattheshack，andlookatuseatin’whileshe’dwalkaroundputtin’grubonyourplate。
Daytimeshe’dcomearoundtheditch，watchin’forawhile，andmoveoffslow，singin’herDutchsongs。AndwhenHankcomesbackfromspendin’hisdust，heseesthecrucifixsameasalways，andhesays，’Didn’tItellyu’totakethatdown？’’Youdid，’saysWillomene，lookin’athimveryquiet。Andhequit。
\"AndHoneyWigginsaystohim，’Hank，leaveheralone。’AndHank，bein’
alltremblyfromspreein’intown，hesays，’You’reallaginme！’likeasifhewereababy。\"
\"Ishouldthinkyouwouldrunhimoutofcamp，\"saidI。
\"Well，we’vestudiedoverthatsome，\"McLeananswered。\"Butwhat’stobedonewithWillomene？\"
Ididnotknow。Noneofusseemedtoknow。
\"Theboysgottogethernightbeforelast，\"continuedMcLean，\"andafterholdin’aunanimousmeetin’，wevisitedherandspoketoheraboutgoin’
backtoherhome。Shewasslowincorrallin’ourideaonaccountofherbein’noEnglishscholar。Butwhenshedid，afterthreeofustakin’
theirturnatputtin’thepropositiontoher，shewouldnotacceptanyofourdust。Andthoughshestartedtothankusthehandsomestsheknowedhow，itseemedtogrieveher，forshecried。Sowethoughtwe’dbettergetout。She’striedtotellusthenameofherhome，butyu’can’tpronouncesuchoutlandishness。\"
Aswewentdownthemountains，wetalkedofotherthings，butalwayscamebacktothis；andwewereturningitoverstillwhenthesunhaddepartedfromthenarrowcleftthatwewerefollowing，andshoneonlyonthedistantgrassytopswhichroseroundusintoanupperworldoflight。
\"We’llallsoonhavetomoveoutofthiscamp，anyway，\"saidMcLean，unstrappinghiscoatfromhissaddleanddrawingiton。\"Itgetschillnowintheafternoons。D’yu’seethequakin’—aspsallturnedyello’，andtheleaveskeepsfallin’withoutnowindtoblow’emdown？We’reliabletogetsnowedinonshortnoticeinthismountaincountry。Ifthewatergoestofreezeonuswe’llhavetoquitworkin’。There’scamp。\"
Wehadroundedacorner，andoncemoresightedthecabin。Isupposeitmayhavebeenstillhalfamileaway，uponthefurthersideofaravineintowhichourlittlevalleyopened。Butfield—glasseswerenotneedednowtomakeoutthecabinclearly，windowsanddoor。Smokerosefromit；
forsupper—timewasnearing，andwestoppedtosurveythescene。Aswewerelooking，anotherhunterjoinedus，comingfromthedeepwoodstotheedgeofthepineswherewewerestanding。ThiswasHoneyWiggin。Hehadkilledadeer，andhesurmisedthatalltheboyswouldbebacksoon。
Othershadmetluckbesideshimself；hehadleftonedressinganelkoverthenextridge。Nobodyseemedtohavegotinyet，fromappearances。
Didn’tthecamplooklonesome？
\"There’ssomebody，though，\"saidMcLean。
TheVirginiantooktheglasses。\"Ireckon——yes，that’sHank。Thecoldhaswokehimup，andhe’scomin’inouto’thebrush。\"
Eachofustooktheglassesinturn；andIwatchedthefiguregoupthehilltothedoorofthecabin。Itseemedtopauseanddivergetothewindow。Atthewindowitstoodstill，headbent，lookingin。Thenitreturnedquicklytothedoor。Itwastoofartodiscern，eventhroughtheglasses，whatthefigurewasdoing。Whetherthedoorwaslocked，whetherhewasknockingorfumblingwithakey，orwhetherhespokethroughthedoortothepersonwithin——Icannottellwhatitwasthatcamethroughtheglassesstraighttomynerves，sothatIjumpedatasuddensound；
anditwasonlythedistantshrillcallofanelk。IwashandingtheglassestotheVirginianforhimtoseewhenthefigureopenedthedooranddisappearedinthedarkinterior。AsIwatchedthesquareofdarknesswhichthedoor’sopeningmade，somethingseemedtohappenthere——orelseitwasaspark，aflash，inmyownstrainingeyes。
ButatthatsameinstanttheVirginiandashedforwarduponhishorse，leavingtheglassesinmyhand。Andwiththecontagionofhisacttherestofusfollowedhim，leavingthepackanimalstofollowusastheyshouldchoose。
\"Look！\"criedMcLean。\"He’snotshother。\"
Isawthetallfigureofawomanrushoutofthedoorandpassquicklyroundthehouse。
\"He’smissedher！\"criedMcLean，again。\"She’ssavin’herself。\"
Buttheman’sfiguredidnotappearinpursuit。Insteadofthis，thewomanreturnedasquicklyasshehadgone，andenteredthedarkinterior。
\"Shehadsomething，\"saidWiggin。\"Whatwouldthatbe？\"
\"Maybeit’sallright，afterall，\"saidMcLean。\"Shewentouttogetwood。\"
Theroughsteepnessofourtrailhadbroughtusdowntoawalk，andaswecontinuedtopressforwardatthispaceasfastaswecould，wecomparedafewnotes。McLeandidnotthinkhesawanyflash。Wigginthoughtthathehadheardasound，butitwasatthemomentwhentheVirginian’shorsehadnoisilystartedaway。
Ourtrailhadnowtakenusdownwherewecouldnolongerlookacrossandseethecabin。Andthehalf—mileprovedalongoneoverthisground。Atlengthwereachedandcrossedtherockyford，overtakingtheVirginianthere。
\"Thesehawsses，\"saidhe，\"areplayedout。We’llclimbuptocampafoot。
Andjustkeepbehindmeforthepresent。\"
Weobeyedournaturalleader，andmadereadyforwhateverwemightbegoinginto。Wepassedupthesteepbankandcameagaininsightofthedoor。Itwasstillwideopen。Westood，andfeltasortofsilencewhichtheapproachoftwonew—comerscouldnotbreak。Theyjoinedus。Theyhadbeencominghomefromhunting，andhadplainlyheardashothere。Westoodforamomentmoreafterlearningthis，andthenoneofthemencalledoutthenamesofHankandWillomene。Againwe——orIatleast——feltthatsamesilence，whichtomydisturbedimaginationseemedtoberisingroundusasmistsrisefromwater。