"Foranyhorses。ForanymanorbeastImightsay。Wherewecannotgetout，noonecangetin，"headded，asifansweringherthoughts。"Iamafraidthatyouwon’tseeyourbrotherto—morrowmorning。ButI’llreconnoitreassoonasIcandosowithouttorturingHIM，"hesaid，lookinganxiouslyatthehelplessman；
"he’sgotabouthisshareofpain，Ireckon，andthefirstthingistogethimeasier。"Itwasthelongestspeechhehadmadetoher；
itwasthefirsttimehehadfairlylookedherintheface。Hisshyrestlessnesshadsuddenlygivenwaytodoggedresignation，lessabstracted，butscarcelymoreflatteringtohisentertainers。
Liftinghiscompaniongentlyinhisarms，asifhehadbeenachild，hereascendedthestaircase，Mrs。Scottandthehastily—
summonedMollyfollowingwithoverflowingsolicitude。AssoonastheywerealoneintheparlorMrs。Haleturnedtohersister："Onlythatourguestsseemedtobeasanxioustogojustnowasyouweretopackthemoff，Ishouldhavebeenshockedatyourinhospitality。
Whathascomeoveryou，Kate？Thesearetheverypeopleyouhavereproachedmesooftenwithnotbeingcivilenoughto。"
"ButWHOarethey？"
"HowdoIknow？ThereisYOURBROTHER’Sletter。"
Sheusuallyspokeofherhusbandas"John。"Thisslightshiftingofrelationshipandresponsibilitytothefemininemindwassignificant。Katewasalittlefrightenedandremorseful。
"Ionlymeantyoudon’tevenknowtheirnames。"
"Thatwasn’tnecessaryforgivingthemabedandbandages。DoyousupposethegoodSamaritaneveraskedthewoundedJew’sname，andthattheLevitedidnotexcusehimselfbecausethethieveshadtakenthepoorman’scard—case？Dothedirections，’Incaseofaccident，’inyourambulancerules，read，’Firstlaythesuffereronhisbackandinquirehisnameandfamilyconnections’？Besides，youcancallone’Ned’andtheother’George，’ifyoulike。"
"Oh，youknowwhatImean，"saidKate，irrelevantly。"WhichisGeorge？"
"Georgeisthewoundedman，"saidMrs。Hale；"NOTtheonewhotalkedtoyoumorethanhedidtoanyoneelse。Isupposethepoormanwasfrightenedandreaddismissalinyoureyes。"
"IwishJohnwerehere。"
"Idon’tthinkwehaveanythingtofearinhisabsencefrommenwhoseonlywishistogetawayfromus。Ifitisaquestionofpropriety，mydearKate，surelythereisthepresenceofmothertopreventanyscandal——althoughreallyherownconductwiththewoundedoneisnotabovesuspicion，"sheadded，withthatnovelmischievousnessthatseemedareturnofherlostgirlhood。"Wemusttrytodothebestwecanwiththemandforthem，"shesaiddecidedly，"andmeantimeI’llseeifIcan’tarrangeJohn’sroomforthem。"
"John’sroom？"
"Oh，motherisperfectlysatisfied；indeed，suggestedit。It’slargerandwillholdtwobeds，for’Ned，’thefriend，mustattendtohimatnight。And，Kate，don’tyouthink，ifyou’renotgoingoutagain，youmightchangeyourcostume？Itdoesverywellwhilewearealone——"
"Well，"saidKateindignantly，"asIamnotgoingintohisroom——"
"I’mnotsosureaboutthat，ifwecan’tgetaregulardoctor。Butheisveryrestless，andwandersalloverthehouselikeatimidandapologeticspaniel。"
"Who？"
"Why’Ned。’ButImustgoandlookafterthepatient。Isupposethey’vegothimsafeinhisbedagain，"andwithanodtohersistershetrippedup—stairs。
Uncomfortableandembarrassed，sheknewnotwhy，Katesoughthermother。Butthatgoodladywasalreadyinattendanceonthepatient，andKatehurriedpastthatbalefulcentreofattractionwithafeelingoflonelinessandstrangenessshehadneverexperiencedbefore。Enteringherownroomshewenttothewindow——
thatfirstandlastrefugeofthetroubledmind——andgazedout。
Turninghereyesinthedirectionofhermorning’swalk，shestartedbackwithasenseofbeingdazzled。Sherubbedfirsthereyesandthentherain—dimmedpane。Itwasnoillusion!Thewholelandscape，sofamiliartoher，wasonevastfieldofdead，colorlesswhite!Trees，rocks，evendistanceitself，hadvanishedinthosefewhours。Anevenshadowless，motionlesswhiteseafilledthehorizon。Oneithersideavastwallofsnowseemedtoshutouttheworldlikeashroud。Onlythegreenplateaubeforeher，withitsslopingmeadowsandfringeofpinesandcottonwood，layalonelikeasummerislandinthisfrozensea。
Asuddendesiretoviewthisphenomenonmoreclosely，andtolearnforherselfthelimitsofthisnewtetheredlife，completelypossessedher，and，accustomedtoactuponherindependentimpulses，sheseizedahoodedwaterproofcloak，andslippedoutofthehouseunperceived。Therainwasfallingsteadilyalongthedescendingtrailwhereshewalked，butbeyond，scarcelyamileacrossthechasm，thewintrydistancebegantoconfuseherbrainwiththeinextricableswarmingofsnow。Hurryingdownwithfeverishexcitement，sheatlastcameinsightofthearchinggraniteportalsoftheirdomain。Butherfirstglancethroughthegatewayshoweditclosedasifwithawhiteportcullis。Katerememberedthatthetrailbegantoascendbeyondthearch，andknewthatwhatshesawwasonlythemountainsideshehadpartlyclimbedthismorning。Butthesnowhadalreadycreptdownitsflank，andtheexitbytrailwaspracticallyclosed。Breathlesslymakingherwaybacktothehighestpartoftheplateau——thecliffbehindthehousethatheredescendedabruptlytotherain—dimmedvalley——shegazedatthedizzydepthsinvainforsomeundiscoveredorforgottentrailalongitsface。Butasingleglanceconvincedherofitsinaccessibility。Thegatewaywasindeedtheironlyoutlettotheplainbelow。Shelookedbackatthefallingsnowbeyonduntilshefanciedshecouldseeinthecrossingandrecrossinglinesthemovingmeshesofafatefulwebwovenaroundthembyviewlessbutinexorablefingers。
Halffrightened，shewasturningaway，whensheperceived，afewpacesdistant，thefigureofthestranger，"Ned，"alsoapparentlyabsorbedinthegloomyprospect。Hewaswrappedintheclingingfoldsofablackserapebraidedwithsilver；thebroadflapofaslouchhatbeatenbackbythewindexposedthedark，glisteningcurlsonhiswhiteforehead。Hewascertainlyveryhandsomeandpicturesque，andthatapparentlywithouteffortorconsciousness。
Neitherwasthereanythinginhiscostumeorappearanceinconsistentwithhissurroundings，or，evenwithwhatKatecouldjudgewerehishabitsorposition。Nevertheless，sheinstantlydecidedthathewasTOOhandsomeandtoopicturesque，withoutsuspectingthatherideasofthelimitsofmasculinebeautyweremerelypersonalexperience。
Asheturnedawayfromtheclifftheywerebroughtfacetoface。
"Itdoesn’tlookveryencouragingoverthere，"hesaidquietly，asiftheinevitablenessofthesituationhadrelievedhimofhispreviousshynessandeffort；"it’sevenworsethanIexpected。Thesnowmusthavebeguntherelastnight，anditlooksasifitmeanttostay。"Hestoppedforamoment，andthen，liftinghiseyestoher，said：——
"Isupposeyouknowwhatthismeans？"
"Idon’tunderstandyou。"
"Ithoughtnot。Well!itmeansthatyouareabsolutelycutoffherefromanycommunicationorintercoursewithanyoneoutsideofthatcanyon。Bythistimethesnowisfivefeetdeepovertheonlytrailbywhichonecanpassinandoutofthatgateway。Iamnotalarmingyou，Ihope，forthereisnorealphysicaldanger；aplacelikethisoughttobewellgarrisoned，andcertainlyisself—
supportingsofarasthemerenecessitiesandevencomfortsareconcerned。Youhavewood，water，cattle，andgameatyourcommand，butfortwoweeksatleastyouarecompletelyisolated。"
"Fortwoweeks，"saidKate，growingpale——"andmybrother!"
"Heknowsallbythistime，andisprobablyasassuredasIamofthesafetyofhisfamily。"
"Fortwoweeks，"continuedKate；"impossible!Youdon’tknowmybrother!Hewillfindsomewaytogettous。"
"Ihopeso，"returnedthestrangergravely，"forwhatispossibleforhimispossibleforus。"
"Thenyouareanxioustogetaway，"Katecouldnothelpsaying。
"Very。"
Thereplywasnotdiscourteousinmanner，butwassofarfromgallantthatKatefeltanewandinconsistentresentment。Beforeshecouldsayanythingheadded，"AndIhopeyouwillremember，whatevermayhappen，thatIdidmybesttoavoidstayingherelongerthanwasnecessarytokeepmyfriendfrombleedingtodeathintheroad。"
"Certainly，"saidKate；thenaddedawkwardly，"Ihopehe’llbebettersoon。"Shewassilent，andthen，quickeningherpace，saidhurriedly，"Imusttellmysisterthisdreadfulnews。"
"Ithinksheispreparedforit。IfthereisanythingIcandotohelpyouIhopeyouwillletmeknow。PerhapsImaybeofsomeservice。Ishallbeginbyexploringthetrailsto—morrow，forthebestservicewecandoyoupossiblyistotakeourselvesoff；butI
cancarryagun，andthewoodsarefullofgamedrivendownfromthemountains。Letmeshowyousomethingyoumaynothavenoticed。"Hestopped，andpointedtoasmallknollofshelteredshrubberyandgraniteontheoppositemountain，whichstillremainedblackagainstthesurroundingsnow。Itseemedtobethicklycoveredwithmovingobjects。"Theyarewildanimalsdrivenoutofthesnow，"saidthestranger。"Thatlargeroneisagrizzly；thereisapanther，wolves，wildcats，afox，andsomemountaingoats。"
"Anill—assortedparty，"saidtheyounggirl。
"Illluckmakesthemcompanions。Theyaretoofrightenedtohurtoneanothernow。"
"Buttheywilleateachotherlateron，"saidKate，stealingaglanceathercompanion。
Heliftedhislonglashesandmethereyes。"Notonahavenofrefuge。"
CHAPTERIV
Katefoundhersister，asthestrangerhadintimated，fullyprepared。Ahastyinventoryofprovisionsandmeansofsubsistenceshowedthattheyhadampleresourcesforamuchlongerisolation。
"Theytellmeitisbynomeansanuncommoncase，Kate；somebodyoveratsomebody’splacewassnowedinforfourweeks，andnowitappearsthateventheSummitHouseisnotalwaysaccessible。Johnoughttohaveknownitwhenheboughttheplace；infact，Iwasashamedtoadmitthathedidnot。ButthatislikeJohntopreferhisowntheoriestotheexperienceofothers。However，Idon’tsupposeweshouldevennoticetheprivationexceptforthemails。
ItwillbealessontoJohn，though。AsMr。Leesays，heisontheoutside，andcanprobablygowhereverhelikesfromtheSummitexcepttocomehere。"
"Mr。Lee？"echoedKate。
"Yes，thewoundedone；andtheother’snameisFalkner。Iaskedtheminorderthatyoumightbeproperlyintroduced。TherewereveryrespectableFalknersinCharlestown，youremember；Ithoughtyoumightwarmtothename，andperhapstracetheconnection，nowthatyouaresuchgoodfriends。It’sprovidentialtheyarehere，aswehaven’tgotahorseoramanintheplacesinceManueldisappeared，thoughMr。Falknersayshecan’tbefaraway，ortheywouldhavemethimonthetrailifhehadgonetowardstheSummit。"
"DidtheysayanythingmoreofManuel？"
"Nothing；thoughIaminclinedtoagreewithyouthatheisn’ttrustworthy。ButthatagainistheresultofJohn’sideaofemployingnativeskillattheexpenseofretainingnativehabits。"
Theeveningclosedearly，andwithnodiminutioninthefallingrainandrisingwind。Falknerkepthisword，andunostentatiouslyperformedtheout—doorworkinthebarnandstables，assistedbytheonlyChineseservantremaining，andundertheadviceandsupervisionofKate。Althoughheseemedtounderstandhorses，shewassurprisedtofindthathebetrayedacivicignoranceoftheordinarydetailsofthefarmandrustichousehold。Itwasquiteimpossiblethatsheshouldretainherdistrustfulattitude，orhehisreserveintheirenforcedcompanionship。Theytalkedfreelyofsubjectssuggestedbythesituation，Falknerexhibitingageneralknowledgeandintuitionofthingswithoutparadeordogmatism。
DoubtfulofallversatilityasKatewas，shecouldnothelpadmittingtoherselfthathistruthswerenonethelesstruefortheirquantityorthathegotatthemwithoutostentatiousprocesses。Histalkcertainlywasmorepicturesquethanherbrother’s，andlesssubduingtoherfaculties。Johnhadalwayscrushedher。
Whentheyreturnedtothehousehedidnotlingerintheparlororsitting—room，butatoncerejoinedhisfriend。Whendinnerwasreadyinthedining—room，alittlemoredeliberatelyarrangedandornamentedthanusual，thetwowomenweresomewhatsurprisedtoreceiveanexcusefromFalkner，beggingthemtoallowhimforthepresenttotakehismealswiththepatient，andthussavethenecessityofanotherattendant。
"Itisallshyness，Kate，"saidMrs。Hale，confidently，"andmustnotbepermittedforamoment。"
"I’msureIshouldbequitewillingtostaywiththepoorboymyself，"saidMrs。Scott，simply，"andtakeMr。Falkner’splacewhilehedines。"
"Youaretoowilling，mother，"saidMrs。Hale，pertly，"andyour’poorboy，’asyoucallhim，willneverseethirty—fiveagain。"
"Hewillneverseeanyotherbirthday!"retortedhermother，"unlessyoukeephimmorequiet。Heonlytalkswhenyou’reintheroom。"
"Hewantssomerelieftohisfriend’slongfaceandmoustachiosthatmakehimlookprematurelyinmourning，"saidMrs。Hale，withaslightincreaseofanimation。"Idon’tproposetoleavethemtoomuchtogether。Afterdinnerwe’lladjourntotheirroomandlightenitupalittle。Youmustcome，Kate，tolookatthepatient，andcounteractthebalefuleffectsofmyfrivolity。"
Mrs。Hale’sinstinctsweretruerthanhermother’sexperience；notonlythatthewoundedman’seyesbecamebrighterundertheprovocationofherpresence，butitwasevidentthathisnaturallyexuberantspiritswereapartofhisvitalstrength，andwereabsolutelyessentialtohisquickrecovery。EncouragedbyFalkner’sgraveandpracticalassistance，whichshecouldnotignore，KateventuredtomakeanexaminationofLee’swound。Eventoherunpractisedeyeitwaslessseriousthanatfirstappeared。
Thegreatlossofbloodhadbeenduetothelacerationofcertainsmallvesselsbelowtheknee，butneitherarterynorbonewasinjured。Arecurrenceofthehaemorrhageorfeverwastheonlythingtobefeared，andthesecouldbeavertedbybandaging，repose，andsimplenursing。
Theunfailinggoodhumorofthepatientunderthismanipulation，thequaintoriginalityofhisspeech，thefreedomofhisfancy，whichwas，however，alwayscontrolledbyacertaininstinctivetact，begantoaffectKatenearlyasithadtheothers。Shefoundherselflaughingovertheworkshehadundertakeninapuresenseofduty；shejoinedinthehilarityproducedbyLee’saffectedterrorofhersurgicalmania，andofferedtoundothebandagesinsearchofthethimblehedeclaredshehadleftinthewoundwithaviewtofurtherexperiments。
"Yououghttobroadenyourpractice，"hesuggested。"AgooddealmightbemadeoutofNedandapieceofsoapleftcarelesslyonthefirststepofthestaircase，whilemountainsofsurgicalopportunitieslieinahumbleorangepeeljudiciouslyexposed。
OnlyIwarnyouthatyouwouldn’tfindhimasdocileasIam。
Decoyedintoasnow—driftandfrozen，youmightgetsomevaluableexperiencesinresuscitationbythawinghim。"
"Ifanciedyouhaddonethatalready，Kate，"whisperedMrs。Hale。
"Freezingisthenewsuggestionforpainlesssurgery，"saidLee，comingtoKate’sreliefwithreadytact，"onlytheknowledgeshouldbemoregenerallyspread。TherewasamanupatStrawberryfellunderasledge—loadofwoodinthesnow。Stunnedbytheshock，hewasslowlyfreezingtodeath，when，withatremendouseffort，hesucceededinfreeinghimselfallbuthisrightleg，pinneddownbyasmalllog。Hisaxehappenedtohavefallenwithinreach，andafewblowsonthelogfreedhim。"
"Andsavedthepoorfellow’slife，"saidMrs。Scott，whowaslisteningwithsympathizingintensity。
"AttheexpenseofhisLEFTLEG，whichhehadunknowinglycutoffunderthepleasingsuppositionthatitwasalog，"returnedLeedemurely。
Nevertheless，inafewmomentshemanagedtodiverttheslightlyshockedsusceptibilitiesoftheoldladywithsomerailleryofhimself，anddidnotagaininterrupttheevengood—humoredcommunionoftheparty。Therainbeatingagainstthewindowsandthefiresparklingonthehearthseemedtolendacharmtotheirpeculiarisolation，anditwasnotuntilMrs。Scottrosewithawarningthattheyweretrespassingupontherestoftheirpatientthattheydiscoveredthattheeveninghadslippedbyunnoticed。
Whenthedooratlastclosedonthebright，sympatheticeyesofthetwoyoungwomenandthemotherlybenedictionoftheelder，Falknerwalkedtothewindow，andremainedsilent，lookingintothedarkness。Suddenlyheturnedbitterlytohiscompanion。
"Thisisjusth—ll，George。"
GeorgeLee，withasmileonhisboyishface，lazilymovedhishead。
"Idon’tknow!Ifitwasn’tfortheoldwoman，whoistheonesolidchunkofabsolutegoodnesshere，expectingnothing，wantingnothing，itwouldbegoodfunenough!Thesetwowomen，coopedupinthishouse，wantedexcitement。They’vegotit!ThatmanHalewantedtoshowoffbygoingforus；he’shadhischance，andwillhaveitagainbeforeI’vedonewithhim。Thatd——dfoolofamessengerwantedtogooutofhiswaytoexchangeshotswithme；I
reckonhe’sthemostsatisfiedofthelot!Idon’tknowwhyYOU
shouldgrowl。Youdidyourlevelbesttogetawayfromhere，andtheresultis，thatlittlePuritanisreadytoworshipyou。"
"Yes——butthisplayingitonthem——George——this——"
"Who’splayingit？Notyou；Iseeyou’vegivenawayournamesalready。"
"Icouldn’tlie，andtheyknownothingbythat。"
"Doyouthinktheywouldbehappierbyknowingit？Doyouthinkthatsoftlittlecreaturewouldbeashappyasshewasto—nightifsheknewthatherhusbandhadbeenindirectlythemeansoflayingmebytheheelshere？Whereistheswindle？Thisholeinmyleg？
Ifyouhadbeenfiveminutesunderthatgirl’sd——dsympatheticfingersyou’dhavethoughtitwasgenuine。Isitinourtryingtogetaway？Doyoucallthatten—feetdriftinthepassaswindle？
IsitinthechanceofHalegettingbackwhilewe’rehere？That’srealenough，isn’tit？Isay，Ned，didyouevergiveyourunfetteredintellecttothecontemplationofTHAT？"
Falknerdidnotreply。Therewasanintervalofsilence，buthecouldseefromthemovementofGeorge’sshouldersthathewasshakingwithsuppressedlaughter。
"FancyMrs。Halearchlyintroducingherhusband!Myofferinghimachair，butbeingallthetimeobligedtocoverhimwithaderringerunderthebedclothes。Yourrushinginfromyourpeacefulpastoralpursuitsinthebarn，withapitchforkinonehandandthegirlintheother，anddearoldmammysympathizingallroundandtryingtomakeeverythingcomfortable。"
"Ishouldnotbealivetoseeit，George，"saidFalknergloomily。
"You’dmanagetopitchforkmeandthosetwowomenonHale’shorseandrideaway；that’swhatyou’ddo，orIdon’tknowyou!Lookhere，Ned，"headdedmoreseriously，"theonlyswindlingwasourbringingthatnotehere。ThatwasYOURidea。Youthoughtitwouldremovesuspicion，andasyoubelievedIwasbleedingtodeathyouplayedthatgameforallitwasworthtosaveme。YoumighthavedonewhatIaskedyoutodo——proppedmeupinthebushes，andgotawayyourself。Iwasgoodforacoupleofshotsyet，andafterthat——whatmattered？Thatnight，thenextday，thenexttimeI
taketheroad，orayearhence？Itwillcomewhenitwillcome，allthesame!"
Hedidnotspeakbitterly，norrelaxhissmile。Falkner，withoutspeaking，slidhishandalongthecoverlet。Leegraspedit，andtheirhandsremainedclaspedtogetherforafewminutesinsilence。
"Howisthistoend？Wecannotgoonhereinthisway，"saidFalknersuddenly。
"Ifwecannotgetawayitmustgoon。Lookhere，Ned。Idon’treckontotakeanythingoutofthishousethatIdidn’tbringinit，orisn’tfreelyofferedtome；yetIdon’totherwise，youunderstand，intendmakingmyselfoutad——dbitbetterthanIam。
That’stheonlyexcuseIhavefornotmakingmyselfoutJUSTWHATI
am。Idon’tknowthefellowwho’sobligedtotelleveryonethelastcompanyhewasin，orthelastthinghedid!DoyousupposeeventheseprettylittlewomentellUStheirwholestory？DoyoufancythatthisSt。Johninthewildernessiscanonizedinhisfamily？Perhaps，whenItakethelibertytointrudeinhisaffairs，ashehasinmine，he’dseeheisn’t。Idon’tblameyouforbeingsensitive，Ned。It’snatural。WhenamanlivesoutsidetherevisedstatutesofhisownStateheisapttobeawfullyfineonpointsofetiquetteinhisownhousehold。Asforme，Ifinditrathercomfortablehere。Thebedsofotherpeople’smakingstrikemeasbeingmoresatisfactorythanmyown。Good—night。"
Inafewmomentshewassleepingthepeacefulsleepofthatyouthwhichseemedtobehisowndominantquality。Falknerstoodforalittlespaceandwatchedhim，followingtheboyishlinesofhischeekonthepillow，fromtheshadowofthelightbrownlashesunderhisclosedlidstotheliftingofhisshortupperlipoverhiswhiteteeth，withhisregularrespiration。Onlyasharpaccentingofthelineofnostrilandjawandafaintdepressionofthetemplebetrayedhisalreadytriedmanhood。
ThehousehadlongsunktoreposewhenFalknerreturnedtothewindow，andremainedlookingoutuponthestorm。Suddenlyheextinguishedthelight，andpassingquicklytothebedlaidhishanduponthesleeper。Leeopenedhiseyesinstantly。
"Areyouawake？"
"Perfectly。"
"Somebodyistryingtogetintothehouse!"
"NotHIM，eh？"saidLeegayly。
"No；twomen。Mexicans，Ithink。OnelookslikeManuel。"
"Ah，"saidLee，drawinghimselfuptoasittingposture。
"Well？"
"Don’tyousee？Hebelievesthewomenarealone。"
"Thedog——d——dhound!"
"Speakrespectfullyofoneofmypeople，ifyouplease，andhandmemyderringer。Lightthecandleagain，andopenthedoor。Letthemgetinquietly。They’llcomeherefirst。It’sHISroom，youunderstand，andifthere’sanymoneyit’shere。Anyway，theymustpassheretogettothewomen’srooms。LeaveManueltome，andyoutakecareoftheother。"
"Isee。"
"Manuelknowsthehouse，andwillcomefirst。Whenhe’sfairlyintheroomshutthedoorandgofortheother。Butnonoise。ThisisjustoneoftheSW—EETESTthingsout——ifit’sdoneproperly。"
"ButYOU，George？"
"IfIcouldn’tmanagethatfellowwithoutturningdownthebedclothesI’dkickmyself。Hush。Steadynow。"
Helaydownandshuthiseyesasifinnaturalrepose。Onlyhisrighthand，carelesslyplacedunderhispillow，closedonthehandleofhispistol。Falknerquietlyslippedintothepassage。
Thelightofthecandlefaintlyilluminatedthefloorandoppositewall，butleftitoneithersideinpitchyobscurity。
Forsomemomentsthesilencewasbrokenonlybythesoundoftherainwithout。Therecumbentfigureinbedseemedtohaveactuallysuccumbedtosleep。Themultitudinoussmallnoisesofahouseinreposemighthavebeenmisinterpretedbyearslesskeenthanthesleeper’s；butwhentheapparentcreakingofafar—offshutterwasfollowedbytheslidingapparitionofadarkheadoftangledhairatthedoor，Leehadnotbeendeceived，andwasaspreparedasifhehadseenit。Anotherstep，andthefigureenteredtheroom。
Thedoorclosedinstantlybehindit。Thesoundofaheavybodystrugglingagainstthepartitionoutsidefollowed，andthensuddenlyceased。
Theintruderturned，andviolentlygraspedthehandleofthedoor，butrecoiledataquietvoicefromthebed。
"Dropthat，andcomehere。"
Hestartedbackwithanexclamation。Thesleeper’seyeswerewideopen；thesleeper’sextendedarmandpistolcoveredhim。
"Silence!orI’llletthatcandleshinethroughyou!"
"Yes，captain!"growledtheastoundedandfrightenedhalf—breed。
"Ididn’tknowyouwerehere。"
Leeraisedhimself，andgraspedthelongwhipinhislefthandandwhirleditroundhishead。
"WILLYOUdryup？"
Themansankbackagainstthewallinsilentterror。
"Openthatdoornow——softly。"
Manuelobeyedwithtremblingfingers。
"Ned"saidLeeinalowvoice，"bringhiminhere——quick。"
Therewasaslightrustle，andFalknerappeared，backinginanothergaspingfigure，whoseeyeswerestartingunderthestronggraspofthecaptorathisthroat。
"Silence，"saidLee，"allofyou。"
Therewasabreathlesspause。Thesoundofadoorhesitatinglyopenedinthepassagebrokethestillness，followedbythegentlevoiceofMrs。Scott。
"Isanythingthematter？"
LeemadeaslightgestureofwarningtoFalkner，ofmenacetotheothers。"Everything’sthematter，"hecalledoutcheerily。"Ned’smanagedtohalfpulldownthehousetryingtogetatsomethingfrommysaddle—bags。"
"Ihopehehasnothurthimself，"brokeinanothervoicemischievously。
"Answer，youclumsyvillain，"whisperedLee，withtwinklingeyes。
"I’mallright，thankyou，"respondedFalkner，withunaffectedawkwardness。
Therewasaslightmurmuringofvoices，andthenthedoorwasheardtoclose。LeeturnedtoFalkner。
"Disarmthathoundandturnhimlooseoutside，andmakenonoise。
Andyou，Manuel!tellhimwhathisandyourchancesareifheshowshisblackfacehereagain。"
Manuelcastasingle，terrified，supplicatingglance，moresuggestivethanwords，athisconfederate，asFalknershovedhimbeforehimfromtheroom。Thenextmomenttheyweresilentlydescendingthestairs。
"MayIgotoo，captain？"entreatedManuel。"IsweartoGod——"
"Shutthedoor!"Themanobeyed。
"Now，then，"saidLee，withabroad，gratifiedsmile，layingdownhiswhipandpistolwithinreach，andcomfortablysettlingthepillowsbehindhisback，"we’llhaveaquietconfab。Asortofold—fashionedtalk，eh？You’renotlookingwell，Manuel。You’redrinkingtoomuchagain。Itspoilsyourcomplexion。"
"Letmego，captain，"pleadedtheman，emboldenedbythegood—
humoredvoice，butnotnearenoughtonoticeapeculiarlightinthespeaker’seye。
"You’veonlyjustcome，Manuel；andatconsiderabletrouble，too。
Well，whathaveyougottosay？What’sallthisabout？Whatareyoudoinghere？"
Thecapturedmanshuffledhisfeetnervously，andonlyutteredanuneasylaughofcoarsediscomfiture。
"Isee。You’rebashful。Well，I’llhelpyoualong。Come!YouknewthatHalewasawayandthesewomenwereherewithoutamantohelpthem。Youthoughtyou’dfindsomemoneyhere，andhaveyourownwaygenerally，eh？"
ThetoneofLee’svoiceinspiredhimtoconfidence；unfortunately，itinspiredhimwithfamiliarityalso。
"IreckonedIhadtherighttoalittlefunonmyownaccount，cap。
Ireckonedezonegentlemanintheprofessionwouldn’tinterferewithanothergentleman’slittlegame，"hecontinuedcoarsely。
"Standup。"
"Wotfor？"
"Up，Isay!"
Manuelstoodupandglancedathim。
"Utteracrythatmightfrightenthesewomen，andbythelivingGodthey’llrushinhereonlytofindyoulyingdeadonthefloorofthehouseyou’dhavepolluted。"
Hegraspedthewhipandlaidthelashofitheavilytwiceovertheruffian’sshoulders。Writhinginsuppressedagony，themanfellimploringlyonhisknees。
"Now，listen!"saidLee，softlytwirlingthewhipintheair。"I
wanttorefreshyourmemory。Didyoueverlearn，whenyouwerewithme——beforeIwasobligedtokickyououtofgentlemen’scompany——tobreakintoaprivatehouse？Answer!"
"No，"stammeredthewretch。
"Didyoueverlearntorobawoman，achild，oranybutaman，andthatfacetoface？"
"No，"repeatedManuel。
"Didyoueverlearnfrommetolayafingeruponawoman，oldoryoung，inangerorkindness？"
"No。"
"Then，mypoorManuel，it’sasIfeared；civilizationhasruinedyou。Farmingandasimple，bucoliclifehavepervertedyourmorals。Soyouwererunningoffwiththestockandthatmustang，whenyougotstuckinthesnow；andtheluminousideaofthislittlegamestruckyou？Eh？Thatwasanothermistake，Manuel；I
neverallowedyoutothinkwhenyouwerewithme。"
"No，captain。"
"Who’syourfriend？"
"Ad——dcowardlyniggerfromtheSummit。"
"Iagreewithyouforonce；buthehasn’thadaverybrilliantexample。Where’shegonenow？"
"Toh—ll，forallIcare!"
"ThenIwantyoutogowithhim。Listen。Ifthere’sawayoutoftheplace，youknowitorcanfindit。Igiveyoutwodaystodoit——youandhe。Attheendofthattimetheorderwillbetoshootyouonsight。Nowtakeoffyourboots。"
Theman’sdarkfacevisiblywhitened，histeethchatteredinsuperstitiousterror。
"I’mnotgoingtoshootyounow，"saidLee，smiling，"soyouwillhaveachancetodiewithyourbootson，*ifyouaresuperstitious。
IonlywantyoutoexchangethemforthatpairofHale’sinthecorner。ThefactisIhavetakenafancytoyours。Thatfashionofwearingthestockingsoutsidestrikesmeasoneoftheneatestthingsout。"
*"Todiewithone’sbootson。"Asynonymfordeathbyviolence，popularamongSouthwesterndesperadoes，andthesubjectofsuperstitiousdread。
Manuelsuddenlydrewoffhisbootswiththeirmuffledcovering，andputontheonesdesignated。
"Nowopenthedoor。"
Hedidso。Falknerwasalreadywaitingatthethreshold，"TurnManuelloosewiththeother，Ned，butdisarmhimfirst。Theymightquarrel。Thehabitofcarryingarms，Manuel，"addedLee，asFalknertookapistolandbowie—knifefromthehalf—breed，"isofitselfprovocativeofviolence，andinconsistentwithabucolicandpastorallife。"
WhenFalknerreturnedhesaidhurriedlytohiscompanion，"Doyouthinkitwise，George，toletthosehell—houndsloose？GoodGod!
Icouldscarcelyletmygripofhisthroatgo，whenIthoughtofwhattheywerehunting。"
"MydearNed，"saidLee，luxuriouslyensconcinghimselfunderthebedclothesagainwithaslightshiverofdeliciouswarmth，"Imustwarnyouagainstallowingthenaturalprideofahigherwalktoprejudiceyouagainstthegenerallevelofourprofession。Indeed，IwasquitestruckwiththejusticeofManuel’sprotestthatIwasinterferingwithcertainrudeprocessesofhisowntowardsresultsaimedatbyothers。"
"George!"interruptedFalkner，almostsavagely。
"Well。Iadmitit’sgettingratherlateintheeveningforpurephilosophicalinquiry，andyouaretired。Practically，then，itWASwisetoletthemgetawaybeforetheydiscoveredtwothings。
One，ourexactrelationsherewiththesewomen；andtheother，HOW
MANYofuswerehere。Atpresenttheythinkwearethreeorfourinpossessionandwiththeconsentofthewomen。"
"Thedogs!"
"Theyarepayingusthehighestcomplimenttheycanconceiveofbysupposingusclevererscoundrelsthanthemselves。Youareveryunjust，Ned。"
"Iftheyescapeandtelltheirstory？"
"Weshallhavetherarepleasureofknowingwearebetterthanpeoplebelieveus。Andnowputthosebootsawaysomewherewherewecanproducethemifnecessary，asevidenceofManuel’seveningcall。Atpresentwe’llkeepthethingquiet，andintheearlymorningyoucanfindoutwheretheygotinandremoveanytracestheyhaveleft。Itisnousetofrightenthewomen。There’snofearoftheirreturning。"
"Andiftheygetaway？"
"Wecanfollowintheirtracks。"
"IfManuelgivesthealarm？"
"Withhisburglariousbootsleftbehindinthehouse？Notmuch!
Good—night，Ned。Gotobed。"
WiththesewordsLeeturnedonhissideandquietlyresumedhisinterruptedslumber。Falknerdidnot，however，followthissensibleadvice。Whenhewassatisfiedthathisfriendwassleepingheopenedthedoorsoftlyandlookedout。Hedidnotappeartobelistening，forhiseyeswerefixeduponasmallpenciloflightthatstoleacrossthepassagefromthefootofKate’sdoor。Hewatchedituntilitsuddenlydisappeared，when，leavingthedoorpartlyopen，hethrewhimselfonhiscouchwithoutremovinghisclothes。Theslightmovementawakenedthesleeper，whowasbeginningtofeeltheaccessionoffever。Hemovedrestlessly。
"George，"saidFalkner，softly。
"Yes。"
"WherewasitwepassedthatoldMissionChurchontheroadonedarknight，andsawthelightburningbeforethefigureoftheVirginthroughthewindow？"
Therewasamomentofcrushingsilence。"Doesthatmeanyou’rewantingtolightthecandleagain？"
"No。"
"Thendon’tliethereinventingsacrilegiousconundrums，butgotosleep。"
Nevertheless，inthemorninghisfeverwasslightlyworse。Mrs。
Hale，offeringhercondolence，said，"Iknowthatyouhavenotbeenrestingwell，forevenafteryourfriendmetwiththatmishapinthehall，Iheardyourvoices，andKatesaysyourdoorwasopenallnight。Youhavealittlefevertoo，Mr。Falkner。"
GeorgelookedcuriouslyatFalkner’spaleface——itwasburning。
CHAPTERV
ThespeedandfurywithwhichClinch’scavalcadesweptoninthedirectionofthemysteriousshotleftHalenochanceforreflection。Hewasconsciousofshoutingincoherentlywiththeothers，ofurginghishorseirresistiblyforward，ofmomentarilyexpectingtomeetorovertakesomething，butwithoutanyfurtherthought。ThefiguresofClinchandRawlinsimmediatelybeforehimshutouttheprospectofthenarrowingtrail。Onceonly，takingadvantageofasuddenhaltthatthrewthemconfusedlytogether，hemanagedtoaskaquestion。
"Losttheirtrack——founditagain!"shoutedtheostler，asClinch，withacrylikethebayingofahound，againdartedforward。Theirhorseswerepantingandtremblingunderthem，theascentseemedtobegrowingsteeper，asingulardarkness，whicheventhedensityofthewooddidnotsufficientlyaccountfor，surroundedthem，butstilltheirleadermadlyurgedthemon。ToHale’sreturningsensestheydidnotseeminaconditiontoengageasingleresoluteman，whomighthaveambushedinthewoodsorbeatenthemindetailinthenarrowgorge，butinanotherinstantthereasonoftheirfurioushastewasmanifest。Spurringhishorseahead，Clinchdashedoutintotheopenwithacheeringshout——ashoutthatasquicklychangedtoayellofimprecation。TheywereontheRidgeinablindingsnow—storm!Theroadhadalreadyvanishedundertheirfeet，andwithitthefreshtrailtheyhadsocloselyfollowed!Theystoodhelplesslyontheshoreofatracklesswhitesea，blankandspotlessofanytraceorsignofthefugitives。
"’Pearstome，boys，"saidtheostler，suddenlyrangingbeforethem，"efyou’renotkalkilatin’ongittin’anotherpartytodigyeout，ye’dbetterbehuntin’fodderandcoverinsteadofroadagents。’Skuseme，gentlemen，butI’mresponsibleforthehosses，andthisain’tnotimeforcircus—ridin’。We’reamattero’sixmilesfromthestationinabeeline。"
"Backtothetrail，then，"saidClinch，wheelinghishorsetowardstheroadtheyhadjustquitted。
"’Skuseme，Kernel，"saidtheostler，layinghishandonClinch’srein，"butthatwayonlybringsusbacktheroadwekem——thestageroad——threemilesfurtherfromhome。Thatthreemilesisonthedivide，andbythetimewegetthereitwillbesnowedupworsenorthis。TheshortestcutisalongtheRidge。Ifwehumpourselveswekencrossthedivideaforetheroadisblocked。Andthat，’skuseme，gentlemen，isMYroad。"
Therewasnotimefordiscussion。Theroadwasalreadypalpablythickeningundertheirfeet。Hale’sarmwasstiffenedtohissidebyawet，clingingsnow—wreath。Thefiguresoftheotherswerealmostobliteratedandshapeless。Itwasnotsnowing——itwassnowballing!Thehugeflakes，shakenlikeenormousfeathersoutofavastblue—blackcloud，commingledandfellinspraysandpatches。
Allideaoftheirformerpursuitwasforgotten；theblindrageandenthusiasmthathadpossessedthemwasgone。Theydashedaftertheirnewleaderwithonlyaninstinctforshelterandsuccor。
Theyhadnotriddenlongwhenfortunately，asitseemedtoHale，thecharacterofthestormchanged。Thesnownolongerfellinsuchlargeflakes，norasheavily。Abitterwindsucceeded；thesoftsnowbegantostiffenandcrackleunderthehorses’hoofs；
theywerenolongerweightedandencumberedbythedriftsupontheirbodies；thesmallerflakesnowrustledandraspedagainstthemlikesand，orboundedfromthemlikehail。Theyseemedtobemovingmoreeasilyandrapidly，theirspiritswererisingwiththestimulusofcoldandmotion，whensuddenlytheirleaderhalted。
"It’snouse，boys。Itcan’tbedone!Thisisnoblizzard，butaregulartwodays’snifter!It’snolongermeltin’，butpackin’anddriftin’now。Evenifwegetoverthedivide，we’resuretobeblockedupinthepass。"
Itwastrue!Totheirbitterdisappointmenttheycouldnowseethatthesnowhadnotreallydiminishedinquantity，butthatthenowfinely—powderedparticleswererapidlyfillingallinequalitiesofthesurface，packingcloselyagainstprojections，andswirlinginlongfurrowsacrossthelevels。Theylookedwithanxietyattheirself—constitutedleader。
"Wemustmakeabreaktogetdowninthewoodsagainbeforeit’stoolate，"hesaidbriefly。
ButtheyhadalreadydriftedawayfromthefringeoflarchesanddwarfpinesthatmarkedthesidesoftheRidge，andlowerdownmergedintothedenseforestthatclothedtheflankofthemountaintheyhadlatelyclimbed，anditwaswiththegreatestdifficultythattheyagainreachedit，onlytofindthatatthatpointitwastooprecipitousforthedescentoftheirhorses。Benumbedandspeechless，theycontinuedtotoilon，opposedtothefullfuryofthestingingsnow，andattimesobligedtoturntheirhorsestotheblasttokeepfrombeingblownovertheRidge。Attheendofhalfanhourtheostlerdismounted，and，beckoningtotheothers，tookhishorsebythebridle，andbeganthedescent。WhenitcametoHale’sturntodismounthecouldnothelpatfirstrecoilingfromtheprospectbeforehim。Thetrail——ifitcouldbesocalled——wasmerelythetrackorfurrowofsomefallentreedragged，byaccidentordesign，diagonallyacrossthesidesofthemountain。Attimesitappearedscarcelyafootinwidth；atothertimesamerecrumblinggully，oranarrowshelfmadebytheprojectionsofdeadboughsandcollecteddebris。Itseemedperilousforafootpassenger，itappearedimpossibleforahorse。Nevertheless，hehadtakenastepforwardwhenClinchlaidhishandonhisarm。
"You’llbringuptherear，"hesaidnotunkindly，"ezyou’reastrangerhere。Waituntilwesingouttoyou。"
"ButifIprefertotakethesamerisksasyouall？"saidHalestiffly。
"Youkin，"saidClinchgrimly。"ButIreckoned，asyouwern’tfamiliarwiththissorto’thing，youwouldn’tkeer，byanyfoolishnesso’yours，tostampedetherocksaheadofus，andbreakdownthetrail，orsenddownanavalancheontopofus。Butjustezyoulike。"
"Iwillwait，then，"saidHalehastily。
Therebuke，however，didhimgoodservice。Itpreoccupiedhismind，sothatitremainedunaffectedbythedizzydepths，andenabledhimtoabandonhimselfmechanicallytothesagacityofhishorse，whowascontentedsimplytofollowthehoofprintsoftheprecedinganimal，andinafewmomentstheyreachedthebroadertrailwithoutamishap。Adiscussionregardingtheirfuturemovementswasalreadytakingplace。TheimpossibilityofregainingthestationattheSummitwasadmitted；thewaydownthemountaintothenextsettlementwasstilllefttothem，ortheadjacentwoods，iftheywishedforanencampment。Theostleroncemoreassumedauthority。
"’Skuseme，gentlemen，butthemhorsesdon’ttakenopaseardownthemountainto—night。Thestage—roadain’tamileoff，andI
kalkilatetowaitheretilltheupstagecomes。She’sboundtostoponaccountofthesnow；andI’vedonemydootywhenIhandthehorsesovertothedriver。"
"Butifshehearsoftheblockupyer，andwaitsatthelowerstation？"saidRawlins。
"ThenI’vedonemydootyallthesame。’Skuseme，gentlemen，butthemezheztheirownhorseskindoeztheylike。"
AsthisclearlypointedtoHale，hebrieflyassuredhiscompanionsthathehadnointentionofdesertingthem。"IfIcannotreachEagle’sCourt，Ishallatleastkeepasnearitaspossible。I
supposeanymessengerfrommyhousetotheSummitwilllearnwhereIamandwhyIamdelayed？"
"Messengerfromyourhouse!"gaspedRawlins。"Areyoucrazy，stranger？OnlyabirdwouldgetouterEagle’snow；anditwouldhevtobeaneagleatthat!BetweenyourhouseandtheSummitthesnowmustbetenfeetbythistime，tosaynothingofthedriftinthepass。"
Halefeltitwasthetruth。Atanyothertimehewouldhaveworriedoverthisunexpectedsituation，andutterviolationofallhistraditions。Hewaspastthatnow，andevenfeltacertainrelief。Heknewhisfamilyweresafe；itwasenough。Thattheywerelockedupsecurely，andincapableofinterferingwithHIM，seemedtoenhancehisnew，half—conscious，half—shyenjoymentofanadventurousexistence。
Theostler，whohadbeenapparentlylostincontemplationofthesteeptrailhehadjustdescended，suddenlyclappedhishandtohislegwithanejaculationofgratifiedastonishment。
"Waal，darnmyskinefthatain’tHennicker’s’slide’allthetime!
Ihearditwassomewhatabouthere。"
RawlinsbrieflyexplainedtoHalethataslidewasarudeinclineforthetransitofheavygoodsthatcouldnotbecarrieddownatrail。
"AndHennicker’s，"continuedtheman，"ain’tmorenoramileaway。
YemighttryHennicker’satapush，eh？"
ByacommoninstinctthewholepartylookeddubiouslyatHale。
"Who’sHennicker？"hefeltcompelledtoask。
Theostlerhesitated，andglancedattheotherstoreply。"ThereAREfolks，"hesaidlazily，atlast，"ezbeleevesthatHennickerain’tmuchbetternorthecrowdwe’rehunting；buttheydon’tsayitTOHennicker。Weneedn’tletonwhatwe’reafter。"
"Iforone，"saidHalestoutly，"decidedlyobjecttoanyconcealmentofourpurpose。"
"Itdon’tfollow，"saidRawlinscarelessly，"thatHennickerevenknowsofthisyerrobbery。It’shisgineralgaitwereferto。Efyerthinkitmorepolite，anditmakesitmoresociabletodiscussthismatteraforehim，I’magreed。"
"Halemeans，"saidClinch，"thatitwouldn’tbeonthesquaretotakeandmakeuseofanypointswemightpickupthereagintheroadagents。"
"Certainly，"saidHale。Itwasnotatallwhathehadmeant，buthefeltsingularlyrelievedatthecompromise。
"AndezIreckonHennickerain’tsuchafooleznottoknowwhoweareandwhatwe’reoutfor，"continuedClinch，"Ireckonthereain’tanyconcealment。"
"Thenit’sHennicker’s？"saidtheostler，withswiftdeduction。
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