CONTENTS。

THEHERITAGEOFDEDLOWMARSH

AKNIGHT—ERRANTOFTHEFOOT—HILLS

ASECRETOFTELEGRAPHHILL

CAPTAINJIM’SFRIEND

THEHERITAGEOFDEDLOWMARSH。

I。

ThesunwasgoingdownontheDedlowMarshes。Thetidewasfollowingitfastasiftomeetthereddeninglinesofskyandwaterinthewest，leavingtheforegroundtogrowblackerandblackereverymoment，andtobringoutinstartlingcontrastthefewhalf—filledandhalf—litpoolsleftbehindandforgotten。ThestrongbreathofthePacificfanningtheirsurfacesattimeskindledthemintoadullglowlikedyingembers。Acloudofsand—

pipersrosewhitefromoneofthenearerlagoons，sweptinalongeddyingringagainstthesunset，andbecameablackanddroppingraintoseaward。Thelongsinuouslineofchannel，fadingwiththelightandebbingwiththetide，begantogiveoffhereandtherelightpuffsofgray—wingedbirdslikesuddenexhalations。Highinthedarkeningskythelongarrow—headedlinesofgeeseand’brant’

pointedtowardstheupland。Asthelightgrewmoreuncertaintheairattimeswasfilledwiththerushofviewlessandmelancholywings，orbecameplaintivewithfar—offcriesandlamentations。AstheMarshesgrewblackerthefar—scatteredtussocksandaccretionsonitslevelsurfacebegantoloominexaggeratedoutline，andtwohumanfigures，suddenlyemergingerectonthebankofthehiddenchannel，assumedtheproportionofgiants。

Whentheyhadmooredtheirunseenboat，theystillappearedforsomemomentstobemovingvaguelyandaimlesslyroundthespotwheretheyhaddisembarked。Butastheeyebecamefamiliarwiththedarknessitwasseenthattheywerereallyadvancinginland，yetwithaslownessofprogressionanddeviousnessofcoursethatappearedinexplicabletothedistantspectator。Presentlyitwasevidentthatthisseeminglyeven，vast，blackexpansewastraversedandintersectedbyinkycreeksandsmallchannels，whichmadehumanprogressiondifficultanddangerous。Astheyappearednearerandtheirfigurestookmorenaturalproportions，itcouldbeseenthateachcarriedagun;thatonewasayounggirl，althoughdressedsolikehercompanioninshaggypea—jacketandsou’westerastobescarcelydistinguishedfromhimabovetheshortskirtthatcamehalfwaydownherhighindia—rubberfishing—boots。Bythetimetheyhadreachedfirmerground，andturnedtolookbackatthesunset，itcouldbealsoseenthatthelikenessbetweentheirfaceswasremarkable。Both，hadcrisp，black，tightlycurlinghair;bothhaddarkeyesandheavyeyebrows;bothhadquickvividcomplexions，slightlyheightenedbytheseaandwind。Butmorestrikingthantheirsimilarityofcoloringwasthelikenessofexpressionandbearing。Bothworethesameairofpicturesqueenergy;bothborethemselveswithalikegracefuleffronteryandself—possession。

Theyoungmancontinuedhisway。Theyounggirllingeredforamomentlookingseaward，withhersmallbrownhandliftedtoshadehereyes，——aprecautionwhichherheavyeyebrowsandlonglashesseemedtorenderutterlygratuitous。

"Comealong，Mag。Whatareyewaitin’for？"saidtheyoungmanimpatiently。

"Nothin’。Lookin’atthatboatfromtheFort。"Hercleareyeswerewatchingasmallskiff，invisibletolesskeen—sightedobservers，agrounduponaflatnearthemouthofthechannel。

"Themchapswillhaveahigholetimegunnin’thar，stuckinthemud，andthetidegoin’outlikesixty！"

"Neveryoumindthesodgers，"returnedhercompanion，aggressively，"theykintakecareo’theirownpreciousskins，orUncleSamwilldoitfor’em，Ireckon。Anyhowthepeople——that’syouandme，Mag——isexpectedtopayfortheirfoolishness。That’swhatthey’resentyerfor。Yeoughtertobesatisfiedwiththat，"headdedwithdeepsarcasm。

"Ireckontheyain’texpectedtodomuchoffo’dryland，andtheycan’thelpbein’queeronthewater，"returnedtheyounggirlwithareflectingsenseofjustice。

"Thentheyain’tnocalltogogunnin’，andwastin’Guv’nmentpowderonducksinsteado’Injins。"

"Thet’sso，"saidthegirlthoughtfully。"WonderefGuv’nmentpaysforthemfrockstheKernel’sgirlswentcavortin’roundLogportinlastSunday——theylookedlikeacirkis。"

"LikeeznottheoldKernelgetsitoutercontracts——onewayoranother。WEpayforitallthesame，"headdedgloomily。

"JestthesameeziftheywereMYclothes，"saidthegirl，withaquick，fiery，littlelaugh，"ain’tit？Wonderhowthey’dlikemysayin’thatto’emwhentheywasprancin’round，eh，Jim？"

Buthercompanionwasevidentlyunpreparedforthissweepingfemininededuction，andstoppeditwithmasculinepromptitude。

"Lookyer——insteado’botherin’yourheadaboutwhattheFortgirlswear，you’dbettertrotalongalittlemorelively。It’slateenoughnow。"

"Butthesedarnedbootshurtlikepizen，"saidthegirl，limping。

"Theyswallowedaloto’wateroverthetopswhileIwaswadin’

downthere，andmyfeetgoswashin’aroundlikeinachurneverystep。"

"Leanonme，baby，"hereturned，passinghisarmaroundherwaist，anddroppingherheadsmartlyonhisshoulder。"Thar！"Theactwasbrotherlyandslightlycontemptuous，butitwassufficienttoatonceestablishtheirkinship。

Theycontinuedonthusforsomemomentsinsilence，thegirl，I

fear，afterthefashionofhersex，takingthefullestadvantageofthisslightlysentimentalandcaressingattitude。TheyweremovingnowalongtheedgeoftheMarsh，parallelwiththelineofrapidlyfadinghorizon，followingsometrailonlyknowntotheirkeenyouthfuleyes。Itwasgrowingdarkeranddarker。Thecriesofthesea—birdshadceased;eventhecallofabelatedploverhaddiedawayinland;thehushofdeathlayovertheblackfunerealpallofmarshattheirside。Thetidehadrunoutwiththeday。Eventhesea—breezehadlulledinthisdeadslack—waterofallnature，asifwaitingoutsidethebarwiththeocean，thestars，andthenight。

Suddenlythegirlstoppedandhaltedhercompanion。Thefaintfarsoundofabuglebrokethesilence，iftheideaofinterruptioncouldhavebeenconveyedbythetwoorthreeexquisitevibrationsthatseemedbornofthatsilenceitself，andtofadeanddieinitwithoutbreakordiscord。Yetitwasonlythe’retreat’callfromtheForttwomilesdistantandinvisible。

Theyounggirl’sfacehadbecomeirradiated，andhersmallmouthhalfopenedasshelistened。"Doyouknow，Jim，"shesaidwithaconfidentialsigh，"IallusputwordstothatwhenIhearit——it’ssopow’fulpretty。Itallusgoestomelikethis：’Goestheday，Faraway，Withthelight，AndthenightComesalong——Comesalong——

Comesalong——Likea—aso—o—ong。’"Shehereliftedhervoice，asweet，fresh，boyishcontralto，insuchanadmirableimitationofthebuglethatherbrother，afterthefashionofmoreselectauditors，wasforamomentquiteconvincedthatthewordsmeantsomething。Nevertheless，asabrother，itwashisdutytocrushthisweakness。"Yes;anditsays：’shutyourhead，Gotobed，’"hereturnedirascibly;"andYOU’Dbettercomealong，ifwe’regoin’tohevanysupper。There’sYellerBobhezgotaheadofusovertherewiththegamealready。"

Thegirlglancedtowardsaslouchingburdenedfigurethatnowappearedtobeprecedingthem，straightenedherselfsuddenly，andthenlookedattentivelytowardstheMarsh。

"Notthesodgersagain？"saidherbrotherimpatiently。

"No，"shesaidquickly;"butifthatdon’tbeatanythin’！I’dhevsworn，Jim，thatYellerBobwassomewherebehindus。Isawhimonlyjestnowwhen’Taps’sounded，somewhereoverthar。"Shepointedwithahalf—uneasyexpressioninquiteanotherdirectionfromthatinwhichtheslouchingYellowBobhadjustloomed。

"Tellyewhat，Mag，makin’poetryouterbuglecallshezkindermuddledye。THAT’SYellerBobahead，andyeorterknowInjinswellenuffbythistimetorememberthattheyalluscropupjestwhenyedon’texpectthem。Andthere’sthebreshjestaforeus。Come！"

The’bresh，’orlowbushes，wasreallyalineofstuntedwillowsandaldersthatseemedtohavegraduallysunkintotheleveloftheplain，butincreasedinsizefartherinland，untiltheygrewtotheheightanddensityofawood。SeenfromthechannelithadtheappearanceofagreencapeorpromontorythrustupontheMarsh。

Passingthroughitstangledrecesses，withtheaidofsomeunerringinstinct，thetwocompanionsemergeduponanotherandmuchlargerlevelthatseemedasillimitableasthebay。Thestrongbreathoftheoceanlyingjustbeyondthebarandestuarytheywerenowfacingcametothemsaltandhumidasanothertide。Thenearerexpanseofopenwaterreflectedtheafter—glow，andlightenedthelandscape。Andbetweenthetwowayfarersandthehorizonrose，bleakandstartling，thestrangeoutlinesoftheirhome。

Atfirstitseemedaruinedcolonnadeofmanypillars，whosebaseandpedimentwereburiedintheearth，supportingalongparallelogramofentablatureandcornices。Butasecondglanceshowedittobeaone—storiedbuilding，upheldabovetheMarshbynumberlesspilesplacedatregulardistances;someofthemsunkenorinclinedfromtheperpendicular，increasingthefirstillusion。

Betweenthesepillars，whichpermittedafreecirculationofair，and，atextraordinarytides，eventhewatersofthebayitself，thelevelwasteofmarsh，thebay，thesurgesofthebar，andfinallytheredhorizonline，weredistinctlyvisible。Arailedgalleryorplatform，supportedalsoonpiles，andreachedbystepsfromtheMarsh，ranaroundthebuilding，andgaveaccesstotheseveralroomsandoffices。

Butiftheappearanceofthislacustrineandamphibiousdwellingwasstriking，andnotwithoutacertainrudeandmassivegrandeur，itsgroundsandpossessions，throughwhichthebrotherandsisterwerestillpickingtheirway，wereevenmoregrotesqueandremarkable。Overaspaceofhalfadozenacrestheflotsamandjetsamofyearsoftidalofferingswerecollected，andevenguardedwithacertaincare。Theblackenedhulksofhugeuprootedtrees，scarcelydistinguishablefromthefragmentsofgenuinewrecksbesidethem，weresecurelyfastenedbychainstostakesandpilesdriveninthemarsh，whileheapsofbrokenanddisjointedbambooorangecrates，heldtogetherbyropesoffibre，glistenedlikeligamentedbonesheapedinthedeadvalley。Masts，spars，fragmentsofshell—encrustedboats，binnacles，round—housesandgalleys，andpartoftheafter—deckofacoastingschooner，hadceasedtheirwanderingsandfoundrestinthisvastcemeteryofthesea。Thelegendonawheel—house，theletteringonasternorbow，servedformortuaryinscription。Wailedoverbythetradewinds，mournedbylamentingsea—birds，onceeveryyearthetidevisiteditslostdeadandleftthemwetwithitstears。

Tosuchaspotanditssurroundingstheatmosphereoftraditionandmysterywasnotwanting。SixyearsagoBooneCulpepperhadbuiltthehouse，andbroughttoithiswife——variouslybelievedtobeagypsy，aMexican，abrightmulatto，aDiggerIndian，aSouthSeaprincessfromTahiti，somebodyelse’swife——butinrealityalittleCreolewomanfromNewOrleans，withwhomhehadcontractedamarriage，withothergamblingdebts，duringawinter’svacationfromhishomeinVirginia。Attheendoftwoyearsshehaddied，succumbing，asdifferentlystated，fromperpetualwetfeet，orthemisanthropicidiosyncrasiesofherhusband，andleavingbehindheragirloftwelveandaboyofsixteentoconsolehim。HowfutilewasthisbequestmaybeguessedfromabriefsummaryofMr。

Culpepper’speculiarities。Theywerethedevelopmentofasingularformofaggrandizementandmisanthropy。OnhisarrivalatLogporthehadboughtapartoftheapparentlyvaluelessDedlowMarshfromtheGovernmentatlessthanadollaranacre，continuinghissingularinvestmentyearbyyearuntilhewastheownerofthreeleaguesofamphibiousdomain。ItwasthendiscoveredthatthispropertycarriedwithittheWATERFRONTofdiversvaluableandconvenientsitesformanufacturesandthecommercialportsofanoblebay，aswellasthenaturalembarcaderosofsome’lumbering’

inlandsettlements。BooneCulpepperwouldnotsell。BooneCulpepperwouldnotrentorlease。BooneCulpepperheldaninvincibleblockadeofhisneighbors，andtheprogressandimprovementhedespised——grantingonly，afteraroyalfashion，occasionallicense，revocableatpleasure，intheshapeoftolls，whichamplysupportedhim，withthegameheshotinhiskingfisher’seyrieontheMarsh。EventheGovernmentthathadmadehimpowerfulwasobligedto’condemn’apartofhispropertyatanequitablepriceforthepurposesofFortRedwood，inwhichtheadjacenttownofLogportshared。AndBooneCulpepper，unabletoresisttheact，refusedtoreceivethecompensationorquit—claimthetown。Inhisscantintercoursewithhisneighborshealwaysalludedtoitashisown，showedittohischildrenaspartoftheirstrangeinheritance，andexhibitedthestarryflagthatfloatedfromtheFortasaflauntinginsulttotheiryouthfuleyes。

Hated，feared，andsuperstitiouslyshunnedbysome，regardedasamadmanbyothers，familiarlyknownas’TheKingfisherofDedlow，’

BooneCulpepperwasonedayfoundfloatingdeadinhisskiff，withachargeofshotthroughhisheadandshoulders。Theshot—gunlyingathisfeetatthebottomoftheboatindicatedthe’accident’asrecordedintheverdictofthecoroner’sjury——butnotbythepeople。Athousandrumorsofmurderorsuicideprevailed，butalwayswiththeuniversalrider，’Servedhimright。’

Soinvinciblewasthisfeelingthatbutfewattendedhislastrites，whichtookplaceathighwater。Thedelayoftheofficiatingclergymanlostthetide;thehomelycatafalque——hisownboat——wasleftagroundontheMarsh，anddesertedbyallmournersexceptthetwochildren。Whateverhehadinstilledintothembypreceptandexample，whatevertookplacethatnightintheirlonelywatchbyhisbierontheblackmarshes，itwascertainthatthosewhoconfidentlylookedforanychangeintheadministrationoftheDedlowMarshwerecruellymistaken。TheoldKingfisherwasdead，buthehadleftinthenesttwoyoungbirds，morebeautifulandgraceful，itwastrue，yetasfierceandtenaciousofbeakandtalon。

II。

Arrivingatthehouse，theyoungpeopleascendedtheouterflightofwoodensteps，whichboreanoddlikenesstothecompanion—wayofavessel，andthegallery，or’deck，’asitwascalled——whereanumberofnets，floats，andbuoysthrownovertherailingcompletedthenauticalresemblance。Thispartofthebuildingwasevidentlydevotedtokitchen，dining—room，anddomesticoffices;theprincipalroominthecentreservingashallorliving—room，andcommunicatingontheothersidewithtwosleepingapartments。Itwasofconsiderablesize，withheavylateralbeamsacrosstheceiling——built，liketherestofthehouse，withacertainmaritimestrength——andlookednotunlikeasalooncabin。AnenormousopenFranklinstovebetweenthewindows，aslargeasachimney，blazingwithdrift—wood，gavelightandheattotheapartment，andbroughtintoflickeringrelieftheboardedwallshungwiththespoilsofseaandshore，andglitteringwithgun—barrels。Fowling—piecesofallsizes，fromthelongducking—gunmountedonaswivelforboatusetothelightsingle—barrelorcarbine，stoodinracksagainstthewalls;game—bags，revolversintheirholsters，huntingandfishingknivesintheirsheaths，dependedfromhooksabovethem。

Inonecornerstoodaharpoon;inanother，twoorthreeIndianspearsforsalmon。Thecarpetlessfloorandrudechairsandsettleswerecoveredwithotter，mink，beaver，andaquantityofvaluableseal—skins，withafewlargerpeltsofthebearandelk。

Theonlyattemptatdecorationwasthedisplayedwingsandbreastsofthewoodandharlequinduck，themuir，thecormorant，thegull，thegannet，andthefemininelydelicatehalf—mourningofpetrelandplover，nailedagainstthewall。Theinfluenceoftheseawasdominantaboveall，andasserteditssalineodorseventhroughthespiceofthecurlingdrift—woodsmokethathalfveiledtheceiling。

Aberry—eyedoldIndianwomanwiththecomplexionofdriedsalmon;

herdaughter，alsowithberryeyes，andwithafacethatseemedwhollymadeofamoistlaugh;’YellowBob，’aDigger’buck，’socalledfromtheprevailingochremarkingsofhischeek，and’Washooh，’anex—chief;anondescriptinablanket，lookinglikeacheapanddirtydollwhosefibroushairwasbadlynailedonhiscarvedwoodenhead，composedtheCulpepperhousehold。Whilethetwoformerwerepreparingsupperintheadjacentdining—room，YellowBob，relievedofhisburdenofgame，appearedonthegalleryandbeckonedmysteriouslytohismasterthroughthewindow。JamesCulpepperwentout，returnedquickly，andafteraminute’shesitationandanuneasyglancetowardshissister，whohadmeantimepushedbackhersou’westerfromherforehead，andwithouttakingoffherjackethaddroppedintoachairbeforethefirewithherbacktowardshim，tookhisgunnoiselesslyfromtherack，andsayingcarelesslythathewouldbebackinamoment，disappeared。

Lefttoherself，Maggiecoollypulledoffherlongbootsandstockings，andcomfortablyopposedtothefiretwoveryprettyfeetandankles，whosedelicatepuritywasslightlyblue—bleachedbyconfinementinthetepidsea—water。Thecontrastoftheirwaxenwhitenesswithherbluewoolenskirt，andwitheventheskinofhersunburnthandsandwrists，apparentlyamusedher，andshesatforsomemomentswithherelbowsonherknees，herskirtsslightlyraised，contemplatingthem，andcurlinghertoeswithevidentsatisfaction。Thefirelightplayingupontherichcoloringofherface，thefringeofjet—blackcurlsthatalmostmetthethicksweepofeyebrows，andleftheronlyawhitestripofforehead，hershortupperlipandsmallchin，roundedbutresolute，completedapiquantandstrikingfigure。Therichbrownshadowsonthesmoke—stainedwallsandceiling，theoccasionalstartingintoreliefofthescutcheonsofbrilliantplumage，andthemomentaryglitterofthesteelbarrels，madeaquaintbackgroundtothischarmingpicture。

Sittingthere，andfollowingsomelingeringmemoryofhertrampontheMarsh，shehummedtoherselfafewnotesofthebuglecallthathadimpressedher——atfirstsoftly，andfinallywiththefullpitchofhervoice。

Suddenlyshestopped。

Therewasafaintandunmistakablerappingonthefloorbeneathher。Itwasdistinct，butcautiouslygiven，asifintendedtobeaudibletoheralone。Foramomentshestoodupright，herfeetstillbareandglistening，ontheotterskinthatservedasarug。

Thereweretwodoorstotheroom，onefromwhichherbrotherhaddisappeared，whichledtothesteps，theothergivingonthebackgallery，lookinginland。Withaquickinstinctshecaughtuphergunandrantothatone，butnotbeforearapidscrambleneartherailingwasfollowedbyacautiousopeningofthedoor。Shewasjustintimetoshutitontheextendedarmandlightbluesleeveofanarmyovercoatthatprotrudedthroughtheopening，andforamomentthrewherwholeweightagainstit。

"Adhropofwhiskey，Miss，fortheloveofGod。"

Sheretainedherhold，cockedherweapon，andsteppedbackapacefromthedoor。Thebluesleevewasfollowedbytherestoftheovercoat，andabluecapwiththeinfantryblazoning，andtheletterHonitspeak。Theywereforthemomentmoredistinguishablethanthemanbeneaththem——grimedandblackenedwiththeslimeoftheMarsh。Butwhatcouldbeseenofhismud—

stainedfacewasmoregrotesquethanterrifying。Acombinationofweaknessandaudacity，insinuationandtimiditystruggledthroughthedirtforexpression。Hissmallblueeyeswerenotill—natured，andeventheintrudingarmtrembledmorefromexhaustionthanpassion。

"On’yadhrop，Miss，"herepeatedpiteously，"andavyepleeze，quick！aforeI’mstharvedwiththecoldentoirely。"

Shelookedathimintently——withoutloweringhergun。

"Whoareyou？"

"Thin，it’sthetruthI’lltellye，Miss——whisththen！"hesaidinahalf—whisper;"I’madesarter！"

"ThenitwasYOUthatwasdoggin’usontheMarsh？"

"ItwasthesarjintIwaslavin’，Miss。"

Shelookedathimhesitatingly。

"Stayoutsidethere;ifyoumoveastepintotheroom，I’llblowyououtofit。"

Hesteppedbackonthegallery。Sheclosedthedoor，boltedit，andstillholdingthegun，openedacupboard，pouredoutaglassofwhiskey，andreturningtothedoor，openeditandhandedhimtheliquor。

Shewatchedhimdrainiteagerly，sawthefierystimulantputlifeintohisshiveringframe，tremblinghands，andkindlehisdulleye——

and——quietlyraisedhergunagain。

"Ah，putitdown，Miss，putitdown！Fwhot’stheuse？Surethebulletsyeecarryinthemoiyesofyoursismoredeadly！It’southereoi’llsthand，glorybetoGod，allnight，withoutmovin’afuttillthesarjintcomestotakeme，avyewon’tlevilthemoiyesatmelikethat。Ah，whirra！lookatthatnow！butit’sagooddesssheis——thelivin’Jaynusofwarr，standin’therelikeastatoo，widheralybasterfutputforward。"

Inherprideandconscioussuperiority，anysuggestionofshameatthusappearingbeforeacommonmanandamendicantwasasimpossibletohernatureasitwouldhavebeentoaqueenorthegoddessofhissimile。Hispresenceandhiscomplimentalikepassedhercalmmodestyunchallenged。Thewretchedscamprecognizedthefactandfeltitspower，anditwaswithasuperstitiousreverenceassertingitselfthroughhisnativeextravagancethatheraisedhisgrimyhandtohiscapinmilitarysaluteandbecamerespectfullyrigid。

"Thenthesodgerswerehuntin’YOU？"shesaidthoughtfully，loweringherweapon。

"Thrueforyou，Miss——theyworr，andit’smeselfthatwaslyin’

flatintheditchwidmefayturesmakin’anilligantcastinthemud——morebetoken，asyeseeevennow——andthesarjintandhisdaytailthrampin’roundme。Itwasthinthatthemortialcoldsthruckthro’memouth，andmademewakeforthewhiskeythatwouldresthoreme。"

"Whatdidyoudesertfer？"

"Ah，listtothatnow！FwhatdidIdesartfer？Shureevtherewastheghostofaninemyround，it’smeselfthatwouldbeinthefrontnow！Butitwastheletthersfrommeouldmother，Miss，thatissthruckwidamortialillness——longlifetoher！——inCountyClare，andmesisthersinNinthAvenueinNewYork，fornintthedaypo，thatisbrekkentheirharrutsovermelistin’intheFourthInfanthrytododutyinahaythenwilderness。Avitwasthecavalry——andit’smeownfatherthatwasintheInnishkillenDthragoons，Miss——oiwouldn’tmoind。Widahorsebetunemelegs，it’sonparadeoi’dbenow，Miss，andnotwandheringoverthebareflureoftheMarsh，stharvedwidthecold，thethirst，andhunger，widthemudandthemoirethickonme;facin’anilligantyoungleddyasistheekalovaFayldMarshal’sdarter——nottosphakeovKernalPreston’s——ezcouldn’tholdacandletoher。"

BroughtupontheSpanishfrontier，MaggieCulpepperwasoneofthefewAmericangirlswhowasnotfamiliarwiththeIrishrace。Theraresmilethatmomentarilylitupherpetulantmouthseemedtojustifytheintruder’spraise。Butitpassedquickly，andshereturneddryly：

"Thatmeansyouwantmoredrink，suthin’toeat，andclothes。

Supposemybrothercomesbackandketchesyouhere？"

"Shure，Miss，he’sjustnowhuntenme，alongwidhistwohaythenDiggers，beyondthelaygoonthere。Itworrtheyellaronethatsphottedmelyin’thereintheditch;itworronlyyourownoiyes，Miss——morepowertotheirbeautyforthat！——thatsawmefollyhimunbeknownsthere;andthatdesavedthem，yesee！"

Theyounggirlremainedforaninstantsilentandthoughtful。

"We’renofriendsoftheFort，"shesaidfinally，"butIdon’treckonforthatreasonmybrotherwillcottontoYOU。Stayouttharwhereyeare，tillIcometoye。Ifyouhearmesingin’

again，you’llknowhe’scomeback，andye’dbetterscootwithwhatyou’vealreadygot，andbethankful。"

Sheshutthedooragainandlockedit，wentintothedining—room，returnedwithsomeprovisionswrappedinpaper，tookacommonwickerflaskfromthewall，passedintoherbrother’sbedroom，andcameoutwithaflannelshirt，overalls，andacoarseIndianblanket，and，reopeningthedoor，placedthembeforetheastonishedanddelightedvagabond。Hiseyeglistened;hebegan，"GlorybetoGod，"butforoncehishabitualextravagancefailedhim。Naturetriumphedwithamoreeloquentsilenceoverhiswell—wornart。Hehurriedlywipedhisbegrimedfaceandeyeswiththeshirtshehadgivenhim，andcatchingthesleeveofherroughpea—jacketinhisdirtyhand，raisedittohislips。

"Go！"shesaidimperiously。"Getawaywhileyoucan。"

"Avitvasmelastwords——it’sspeechlessoiam，"hestammered，anddisappearedovertherailing。

Sheremainedforamomentholdingthedoorhalfopen，andgazingintothedarknessthatseemedtoflowinlikeatide。Thensheshutit，andgoingintoherbedroomresumedherinterruptedtoilette。Whensheemergedagainshewassmartlystockingedandslippered，andeventhebluesergeskirtwasexchangedforabrightprint，withawhitefichutiedaroundherthroat。AnattempttosubdueherrebelliouscurlshadresultedintheconstructionfromtheirruinsofalowNormanarchacrossherforeheadwithpillaredabutmentsofringlets。Whenherbrotherreturnedafewmomentslatershedidnotlookup，butremained，perhapsalittleostentatiously，bendingoverthefire。

"BoballowedthattheFortboatwashuntin’MEN——deserters，I

reckon，"saidJimaggrievedly。"WantedmetobelievethatheSAW

oneontheMarshhidin’。On’yanInjinlie，Ireckon，togitalittleextrafire—water，fortotingmeouttothebreshonafool’serrand。"

"Oh，THAT’Swhereyouwent！"saidMaggie，addressingthefire。

"SincewhenhevyoutukpartnershipwiththeGuv’nmentandKernelPrestontohuntupandtakekeeroftheirproperty？"

"Well，Iain’tgoin’tohevsuchwreckageastheypickupandenlistsetadriftonourmarshes，Mag，"saidJimdecidedly。

"Whatwouldyouhevdonehadyouketchedhim？"saidMaggie，lookingsuddenlyintoherbrother’sface。

"Givenhimadoseofsnipe—shotthathe’dremember，andbethankfulitwasn’tslugs，"saidJimpromptly。Observingadeeperseriousnessinherattitude，headded，"Why，ifitwasinwar—timehe’dgetaBALLfromthemsodgersonsight。"

"Yes;butYOUain’tgotnocalltointerfere，"saidMaggie。

"Ain’tI？Why，he’snobetterthananoutlaw。Iain’tsurethathehasn’tbeenstealin’orkillin’somebodyovertheer。"

"Notthatman！"saidMaggieimpulsively。

"Notwhatman？"saidherbrother，facingherquickly。

"Why，"returnedMaggie，repairingherindiscretionwithfemininedexterity，"notANYmanwhomighthaveknockedyouandmeoveronthemarshesinthedusk，andgrabbedourguns。"

"Wishhe’dhevtriedit，"saidthebrother，withasuperiorsmile，butaquicklyrisingcolor。"Whered’yesupposeI’Dhevbeenallthewhile？"

Maggiesawhermistake，andforthefirsttimeinherliferesolvedtokeepasecretfromherbrother——overnight。"Supper’sgettin’

cold，"shesaid，rising。

Theywentintothedining—room——anapartmentasplainlyfurnishedastheonetheyhadquitted，butinitsshelves，cupboards，andcloselyfittingboardingbearingoutthegeneralnauticalsuggestionofthehouse——andseatedthemselvesbeforeasmalltableonwhichtheirfrugalmealwasspread。Inthistete—a—tetepositionJimsuddenlylaiddownhisknifeandforkandstaredathissister。

"Hello！"

"What’sthematter？"saidMaggie，startingslightly。"Howyoudoskeerone。"

"Who’sbeenprinkin’，eh？"

"Myha’rwasinkinksallalongo’thathat，"saidMaggie，withareturnofhighercolor，"andIhadtostraightenit。It’saboy’shat，notagirl’s。"

Butthatnecktieandthatgown——andallthosefrillsandtuckers？"

continuedJimgeneralizing，witharapidtwirlingofhisfingersoverher。"Areyouexpectin’JudgeMartin，ortheExpressmanthisevening？"

JudgeMartinwasthelawyerofLogport，whohadprovenherfather’swill，andhadsinceravedabouthissingleinterviewwiththeKingfisher’sbeautifuldaughter;theExpressmanwasayoungfellowwhowaspopularlysupposedtohavelefthisheartwhiledeliveringanothervaluablepackageonMaggieinperson，andhad"neverbeenthesamemansince。"Itwasawell—wornfraternalpleasantrythathaddonedutymanyawinter’sevening，asahappycombinationofmoraladmonitionandcheerfulness。Maggieusuallypaiditthetributeofaquicklittlelaughandasisterlypinch，butthateveningthosemarksofapprobationwerewithheld。

"Jimdear，"saidshe，whentheirSpartanrepastwasconcludedandtheywerereestablishedbeforetheliving—roomfire。"WhatwasittheRedwoodMillKempanyofferedyouforthatpiecenearDeadMan’sSlough？"

Jimtookhispipefromhislipslongenoughtosay，"Tenthousanddollars，"andputitbackagain。

"Andwhatdoyekalkilateallourproperty，lettingalonethisyerhouse，andthedriftwoodfront，isworthalltogether？"

"Includin’wottheGov’nmentowesus？——forthat’sallours，yeknow？"saidJimquickly。

"No——leavin’thatout——jestforgreens，youknow，"suggestedMaggie。

"Wellnighonterahundredandseventy—fivethousanddollars，I

reckon，byandlarge。"

"That’saheapo’money，Jim！IreckonoldKernelPrestonwouldn’traisethatinahundredyears，"continuedMaggie，warmingherkneesbythefire。

"Infivemillionyears，"saidJim，promptlysweepingawayfurtherdiscussion。Afterapauseheadded，"Youandme，Mag，kinseeanybody’spile，andgo’emfiftythousandbetter。"

Therewereafewmomentsofcompletesilence，inwhichMaggiesmoothedherknees，andJim’spipe，whichseemedtohavebecomegorgedandapoplecticwithitsowner’swealth，snoredunctuously。

"Jimdear，whatif——it’son’yanideaofmine，youknow——whatifyousoldthatpiecetotheRedwoodMill，andwejesttukthatmoneyand——and——andjestliftedtheha’rofferthemfolksatLogport？

Jestastonished’em！Jesttukthebestroomsinthatnewhotel，gotahossandbuggy，dressedourselves，youandme，fittokill，andmadethemFortpeopletakeabackseatintheLord’sTabernacle，oncetforall。YouseewhatImean，Jim，"shesaidhastily，asherbrotherseemedtobesuccumbing，likehispipe，inapoplecticastonishment，"jeston’ytoSHOW’emwhatweCOULDdoifwekeerd。Lord！whenwedoneitandspentthemoneywe’djestsnapourfingersandskipbackyereznat’ralezlife！Yedon’tthink，Jim，"shesaid，suddenlyturninghalffiercelyuponhim，"thatI’dallowtoLIVEamong’em——tostayamenetafterthat！"

Jimlaiddownhispipeandgazedathissisterwithstonydeliberation。"And——what——do——you——kalkilate——tomakebyallthat？"hesaidwithscornfuldistinctness。

"Why，jesttoshow’emweHAVEgotmoney，andcouldbuy’emallupifwewantedto，"returnedMaggie，stickingboldlytoherguns，albeitwithavagueconvictionthatherfirewasweakenedthroughelevation，andsomewhatalarmedatthedeliberationoftheenemy。

"Andyoumeantosaytheydon’tknowitnow，"hecontinuedwithslowderision。

"No，"saidMaggie。"Why，theer’sthatnewschool—marmoveratLogport，youknow，Jim，theonethatwantedtotakeyourpicterinyourboatforayoungsmugglerorfancypirateorEyetalianfisherman，andallowedthatyou’rhandsomedsome，andofferedtopayyouforsittin’——doyoureckonSHE’Dbelieveyouownedthelandherschoolhousewasbuilton。No！Lotsof’emdon’t。Lotsof’emthinkswe’repoorandlowdown——andthemezdoesn’t，thinks"——

"What？"askedherbrothersharply。

"Thatwe’reMEAN。"

ThequickcolorcametoJim’scheek。"So，"hesaid，facingherquickly，"forthesakeofalotofriff—raffandscumthat’sdriftedherearoundus——jestforthesakeofcuttin’aswellbeforethem——you’llgooutamongthehoundsezallowedyourmotherwasaSpanishniggerorakanaka，ezcalledyourfatherapirateandlandgrabber，ezmuchasallowedhewasshotbysomeoneorkilledhimselfapurpose，ezsaidyouwasaheathenandalooneybecauseyoudidn’tgotoschoolorchurchalongwiththeirtrash，ezkeptawayfromMaw’ssicknessezifitwassmallpox，andDad’sfun’ralezifhewasahoss—thief，andleftyouandmetowatchhiscoffinonthemarshesallnighttillthetidekemback。Andnowyou——YOU

thatjinedhandswithmethatnightoverourfatherlyin’therecoldanddespised——ezifhewasadeaddogthrownupbythetide——

andsworethatezlongezthattideebbedandfloweditcouldn’tbringyoutothem，orthemtoyouagin！Younowwant——what？What？

Why，togoandcastyourlotamong’em，andliveamong’em，andjoinintheirGod—forsakenhollerfoolishness，and——and——and"——

"Stop！It’salie！IDIDN’Tsaythat。Don’tyoudaretosayit！"

saidthegirl，springingtoherfeet，andfacingherbrotherinturn，withflashingeyes。

Foramomentthetwostaredateachother——itmighthavebeenasinamirror，soperfectlyweretheirpassionsreflectedineachline，shade，andcoloroftheother’sface。Itwasasiftheyhadeachconfrontedtheirownpassionateandwillfulsouls，andwerefrightened。Ithadoftenoccurredbefore，alwayswiththesameinvariableending。Theyoungman’seyesloweredfirst;thegirl’sfilledwithtears。

"Well，efyedidn’tmeanthat，whatdidyemean？"saidJim，sinking，withsullenapology，backintohischair。

"I——only——meantit——for——for——revenge！"sobbedMaggie。

"Oh！"saidJim，asifallowinghishighernaturetobetouchedbythisnobleinstinct。"ButIdidn’tjestseewheretherevengekemin。"

"No？But，nevermindnow，Jim，"saidMaggie，ostentatiouslyignoring，afterthefashionofhersex，thetroubleshehadprovoked;"buttothink——that——that——youthought"——（sobbing）。

"ButIdidn’t，Mag"——（caressingly）。

Withthisveryvagueandimpotentconclusion，Maggiepermittedherselftobedrawnbesideherbrother，andforafewmomentstheyplumedeachother’sruffledfeathers，andsmoothedeachother’sliftedcrests，liketwobeautifulyoungspecimensofthathalcyongenustowhichtheywerepopularlysupposedtobelong。AttheendofhalfanhourJimrose，and，yawningslightly，saidinaperfunctoryway：

"Where’sthebook？"

ThebookinquestionwastheBible。Ithadbeentheself—imposedcustomofthesetwoyoungpeopletoreadaloudachaptereverynightastheironevagueformulaofliteraryandreligiousdiscipline。Whenitwasproduced，Maggie，presumingonhisaffectionateandpenitentialcondition，suggestedthatto—nightheshouldpickout"suthin’interestin’。"ButthisunorthodoxfrivolitywassternlyputasidebyJim——albeit，bywayofcompromise，heagreedto"chanceit，"i。e。，openitspagesatrandom。

Hedidso。Generallyheallowedhimselfamoment’sjudiciouspauseforacertainchastepreliminaryinspectionnecessarybeforereadingaloudtoagirl。To—nightheomittedthatmodestprecaution，andinapleasantvoice，whichinreadingwassingularlyfreefromcolloquialinfelicitiesofpronunciation，beganatonce：

"’CurseyeMeroz，saidtheangeloftheLord，curseyebitterlytheinhabitantsthereof;becausetheycamenottothehelpoftheLord，tothehelpoftheLordagainstthemighty。’"

"Oh，youlookedfirst，"saidMaggie。

"Ididn’tnow——honestInjin！Ijustopened。"

"Goon，"saidMaggie，eagerlyshovinghimandinterposingherneckoverhisshoulder。

AndJimcontinuedDeborah’swonderfulsongofJaelandSiseratothebitterendofitsstrongmonosyllabicclimax。

"There，"hesaid，closingthevolume，"that’swhatIcallrevenge。

That’stherealScripturething——nofancyfrillstheer。"

"Yes;but，Jimdear，don’tyouseethatshetreatedhimfirst——

sortergotroundhimwithfreemilkandbutter，andreg’larlyblandishedhim，"arguedMaggieearnestly。

ButJimdeclinedtoacceptthisfemininesuggestion，ortopursuethesubjectfurther，andafterafraternalembracetheyseparatedforthenight。Jimlingeredlongenoughtolookafterthefasteningofthedoorandwindows，andMaggieremainedforsomemomentsathercasement，lookingacrossthegallerytotheMarshbeyond。

Themoonhadrisen，thetidewashalfup。Whateversignortraceofalienfootprintoroccupationhadbeentherewasalreadysmoothlyobliterated;eventheconfigurationofthelandhadchanged。Ablackcapehaddisappeared，alevellineofshorehadbeeneatenintobyteethofglisteningsilver。ThewholedarksurfaceoftheMarshwasbeginningtobestreakedwithshiningveinsasifanewlifewascoursingthroughit。PartoftheopenbaybeforetheFort，encroachingupontheshore，seemedinthemoonlighttobereachingawhiteandoutstretchedarmtowardsthenestoftheKingfisher。

III。

ThereveilleatFortRedwoodhadbeensupplementedfullfiveminutesbythevoiceofLieutenantGeorgeCalvert’sservant，beforethatyoungofficerstruggledfromhisbed。Hisheadwassplitting，histongueandlipsweredryandfeverish，hisbloodshoteyeswereshrinkingfromtheinsufferablelightoftheday，hismindaconfusedmedleyofthepastnightandthepresentmorning，ofcardsandwildrevelry，andthevisionofareproachfullytrimorderlystandingathisdoorwithreportsandorderswhichhenowheldcomposedlyinhishand。ForLieutenantCalverthadbeenenjoyingasymposiumvariouslyknownas"StagFeed"and"AWildStormyNight"

withseveralofhisbrotherofficers，andasickeningconvictionthatitwasnotthefirstorthelasttimehehadindulgedinthesefestivities。Atthatmomentheloathedhimself，andthenaftertheusualderelictfashioncursedthefatethathadsenthim，aftergraduating，toafrontiergarrison——thedullmonotonyofwhosedutiesmadetheBorderhorse—playofdissipationarelief。Alreadyhehadreachedthemiserablepointofenvyingtheveterancapacitiesofhissuperiorsandequals。"IfIcoulddrinklikeKirbyorCrowninshield，oriftherewasanyothercursedthingamancoulddointhishole，"hehadwretchedlyrepeatedtohimself，aftereachmisspentoccasion，andyetalreadyhewaslookingforwardtothemaspartofa’sub’s’dutyandworthyhisemulation。

AlreadythedreamofsocialrecreationfosteredbyWestPointhadbeenrudelydispelled。BeyondthegarrisoncircleofColonelPreston’sfamilyandtwoofficers’wives，therewasnosociety。

ThevaguedistrustandciviljealousywithwhichsomefrontiercommunitiesregardtheFederalpower，heightenedinthisinstancebytheuncompromisingattitudetheGovernmenthadtakentowardsthesettlers’severeIndianpolicy，hadkeptthepeopleofLogportalooffromtheFort。TheregimentalbandmightpipetothemonSaturdays，buttheywouldnotdance。

Howbeit，LieutenantCalvertdressedhimselfwithuncertainhandsbutmechanicalregularityandneatness，and，undertheautomatictrainingofdisciplineandduty，managedtobuttonhistunictightlyoverhisfeelings，topullhimselftogetherwithhissword—

belt，compressingastillcadet—likewaist，andtopresentthatindescribablecombinationofprecisionandjauntinesswhichhisbrotherofficerstoooftenallowedtolapseintofrontiercarelessness。Hiscloselyclippedlighthair，yetdrippingfromaplungeinthecoldwater，hadbeenbrushedandpartedwithmilitaryexactitude，andwhensurmountedbyhiscap，withthepeakinanartfulsuggestionofextrasmartnesstippedforwardoverhiseyes，onlyhispaleface——ashadelighterthanhislittleblondemoustache——showedhislastnight’sexcesses。Hewasmechanicallyreachingforhisswordandstaringconfusedlyatthepapersonhistablewhenhisservantinterrupted：

"MajorBromleyarrangedthatLieutenantKirbytakesyoursashthismorning，asyou’renotwell，sir;andyou’retoreportforspecialtothecolonel，"headded，pointingdiscreetlytotheenvelope。

Touchedbythisconsiderationofhissuperior，MajorBromley，whohadbeenoneoftheveteransoflastnight’sengagement，Calvertmasteredthecontentsoftheenvelopewithoutthecustomaryanathemaofspecials，said，"Thankyou，Parks，"andpassedoutontheveranda。

Theglareofthequietsunlitquadrangle，cleanasawell—sweptfloor，thewhitewashedwallsandgalleriesofthebarrackbuildingsbeyond，thewhiteandgreenpalisadeofofficers’cottagesoneitherside，andtheglitterofasentry’sbayonet，wereforamomentintolerabletohim。Yet，byakindofsubtleirony，neverbeforehadthegeniusandspiritofthevocationhehadchosenseemedtobeasincarnateasinthescenebeforehim。Seclusion，self—restraint，cleanliness，regularity，sobriety，theatmosphereofawholesomelife，theausterereserveofamonasterywithoutitsmysteriousorpensivemeditation，wereallthere。Toescapewhich，hehadofhisownfreewillsuccessivelyacceptedafool’sdistraction，theinevitableresultofwhichwas，theviewingofthemthenextmorningwithtremulousnervesandachingeyeballs。

Anhourlater，LieutenantGeorgeCalverthadreceivedhisfinalinstructionsfromColonelPrestontotakechargeofasmalldetachmenttorecoverandbringbackcertaindeserters，butnotablyone，DennisM’CaffreyofCompanyH，chargedadditionallywithmutinoussolicitationandexample。AsCalvertstoodbeforehissuperior，thatdistinguishedofficer，whoseoratoricalpowershadbeenconsiderablystimulatedthroughalongcourseof"returningthanksfortheArmy，"slightlyexpandedhischestandsaidpaternally：

"Iamaware，Mr。Calvert，thatdutiesofthiskindaresomewhatdistastefultoyoungofficers，andareapttobeconsideredinthelightofpolicedetail;butImustremindyouthatnoonepartofasoldier’sdutycanbeheldmoreimportantorhonorablethananother，andthatthefulfilmentofanyone，howevertrifling，must，withhonortohimselfandsecuritytohiscomrades，receivehisfullestdevotion。Asergeantandafileofmenmightperformyourduty，butIrequire，inaddition，thediscretion，courtesy，andconsiderationofagentlemanwhowillcommandanequalrespectfromthosewithwhomhisdutybringshimincontact。Theunhappyprejudiceswhichthesettlersshowtothemilitaryauthorityhererenderthis，asyouareaware，adifficultservice，butIbelievethatyouwill，withoutforgettingtherespectduetoyourselfandtheGovernmentyourepresent，avoidarousingtheseprejudicesbyanyharshness，orinvitinganyconflictwiththecivilauthority。

Thelimitsoftheirauthorityyouwillfindinyourwritteninstructions;butyoumightgaintheirconfidence，andimpressthem，Mr。Calvert，withtheideaofyourbeingtheirAUXILIARYintheinterestsofjustice——youunderstand。Evenifyouareunsuccessfulinbringingbackthemen，youwilldoyourbesttoascertainiftheirescapehasbeenduetothesympathyofthesettlers，orevenwiththeirpreliminaryconnivance。Theymaynotbeawarethatincitingenlistedmentodesertisacriminaloffence;youwilluseyourowndiscretionininformingthemofthefactornot，asoccasionmayserveyou。Ihaveonlytoadd，thatwhileyouareonthewatersofthisbayandthelandcoveredbyitstides，youhavenooppositionofauthority，andareresponsibletonoonebutyourmilitarysuperiors。Good—bye，Mr。Calvert。Letmehearagoodaccountofyou。"

ConsiderablymovedbyColonelPreston’smanner，whichwasaspaternalandrealashisrhetoricwassomewhatperfunctory，Calverthalfforgothiswoesashesteppedfromthecommandant’spiazza。

Buthehadtofaceagroupofhisbrotherofficers，whowereawaitinghim。

"Good—bye，Calvert，"saidMajorBromley;"adayortwooutongrasswon’thurtyou——andachangefromcommissarywhiskeywillputyouallright。Bytheway，ifyouhearofanybetterstuffatWestportthanthey’regivingushere，sampleitandletusknow。Takecareofyourself。Giveyourmenachancetotalktoyounowandthen，andyoumaygetsomethingfromthem，especiallyDonovan。KeepyoureyeonRamon。Youcantrustyoursergeantstraightalong。"

"Good—bye，George，"saidKirby。"Isupposetheoldmantoldyouthat，althoughnopartofasoldier’sdutywasbetterthananother，yourservicewasaverydelicateone，justfittedforyou，eh？Healwaysdoeswhenhe’scutoutsomehellishscrub—workforachap。

Andtoldyou，too，thataslongasyoudidn’tgoashore，andkepttoadispatch—boat，oraneight—oaredgig，whereyoucouldn’tdeployyourmen，ordressaline，you’dbeinvincible。"

"Hedidsaysomethinglikethat，"smiledCalvert，withanuneasyrecollection，however，thatitwasTHEpartofhissuperior’sspeechthatparticularlyimpressedhim。

"Ofcourse，"saidKirbygravely，"THAT，asaninfantryofficer，isclearlyyourduty。"

"Anddon’tforget，George，"saidRollinsstillmoregravely，"that，whatevermaybefallyou，youbelongtoasectionofthatnumericallysmallbutpowerfullydiversifiedorganization——theAmericanArmy。Rememberthatinthehourofperilyoucanaddressyourmeninanylanguage，andbeperfectlyunderstood。Andrememberthatwhenyouproudlystandbeforethem，theeyesnotonlyofyourowncountry，butofnearlyalltheothers，areuponyou！

Good—bye，Georgey。Iheardthemajorhintsomethingaboutwhiskey。

Theysaythatoldpirate，KingfisherCulpepper，hadastockoftherealthingfromRobertsonCountylaidinhisshebangontheMarshjustbeforehedied。Pitywearen’tontermswiththem，forthecubscannotdrinkit，andmightbeinducedtosell。Shouldn’twonder，bytheway，ifyourfriendM’Caffreywashangingroundsomewherethere;healwayshadakeenscent。Youmightconfiscateitasan"incitementtodesertion，"youknow。Thegirl’spretty，andoughttobegrowingupnow。"

Buthaplyatthispointthesergeantstoppedfurtherraillerybyreportingthedetachmentready;anddrawinghissword，Calvert，withaconfusedhead，aremorsefulheart，butanunfalteringstep，marchedoffhismenonhisdelicatemission。

Itwasfouro’clockwhenheenteredJonesville。Followingamatter—of—factideaofhisown，hehadbroughthismenthegreaterdistancebyacircuitousroutethroughthewoods，thusavoidingtheostentatiousexposureofhispartyontheopenbayinawell—mannedboattoanextendedviewfromthethreeleaguesofshoreandmarshopposite。Crossingthestream，whichhereseparatedhimfromtheDedlowMarshbythecommonferry，hehadthusbeenenabledtohaltunperceivedbelowthesettlementandoccupythetworoadsbywhichthefugitivescouldescapeinland。Hehaddeemeditnotimpossiblethat，afterthepreviousvisitofthesergeant，thedesertershiddeninthevicinitymightreturntoJonesvilleinthebeliefthatthevisitwouldnotberepeatedsosoon。Leavingapartofhissmallforcetopatroltheroadandanothertodeployovertheuplandmeadows，heenteredthevillage。Bytheexerciseofsomeboyishdiplomacyandacertainprepossessinggrace，whichheknewwhenandhowtoemploy，hebecamesatisfiedthattheobjectsofhisquestwerenotTHERE——however，theirwhereaboutsmighthavebeenknowntothepeople。Dividinghispartyagain，heconcludedtotakeacorporalandafewmenandexplorethelowermarsheshimself。

Thepreoccupationofduty，exercise，andperhaps，aboveall，thekeenstimulusoftheiodine—ladensaltairseemedtoclearhismindandinvigoratehisbody。HehadneverbeenintheMarshbefore，andenjoyeditsnoveltywiththezestofyouth。Itwasthehourwhenthetideofitsfeatheredlifewasatitsflood。Cloudsofduckandtealpassingfromthefreshwateroftherivertothesaltpoolsofthemarshesperpetuallyswepthispathwithflyingshadows;attimesitseemedasifeventheuncertaingroundaroundhimitselfaroseandspedawayonduskywings。Thevicinityofhiddenpoolsandsloughswasbetrayedbystartledsplashings;afewpacesfromtheirmarchingfeetarosethesunlitpinionsofaswan。

Theairwasfilledwithmultitudinoussmallcriesandpipings。Inthisvocalconfusionitwassomeminutesbeforeherecognizedthevoiceofoneofhisout—flankerscallingtotheother。

Animportantdiscoveryhadbeenmade。InalongtongueofbushesthatrandowntotheMarshtheyhadfoundamud—staineduniform，completeeventothecap，bearingtheinitialofthedeserter’scompany。

"Isthereanyhutorcabinhereabouts，Schmidt？"askedCalvert。

"Dotvosschoostit，Lefdennun，"repliedhiscorporal。"DotvosdeshantyfromderKingvisher——oldGulbebber。Ipetadollar，pyshimminy，dotdermenhafdergekommt。"

Hepointedthroughthebraketoalong，lowbuildingthatnowraiseditself，whiteinthesunlight，abovethemanyblackenedpiles。Calvertsawinasinglereconnoitringglancethatithadbutoneapproach——theflightofstepsfromtheMarsh。Instructinghismentofallinontheouteredgeofthebrakeandawaithisorders，hequicklymadehiswayacrossthespaceandascendedthesteps。Passingalongthegalleryheknockedatthefrontdoor。

Therewasnoresponse。Herepeatedhisknock。Thenthewindowbesideitopenedsuddenly，andhewasconfrontedwiththedouble—

muzzleofalongducking—gun。Glancinginstinctivelyalongthebarrels，hesawattheirotherextremitythebrighteyes，brilliantcolor，andsmallsetmouthofaremarkablyhandsomegirl。Itwasthefact，andtothecreditofhistraining，thathepaidmoreattentiontotheeyesthantothechallengeoftheshiningtubesbeforehim。

"Jeststopwhereyouare——willyou！"saidthegirldeterminedly。

Calvert’sfacebetrayednottheslightestterrororsurprise。

Immovableasonparade，hecarriedhiswhiteglovedhandtohiscap，andsaidgently，"Withpleasure。"

"Ohyes，"saidthegirlquickly;"butifyoumoveastepI’lljestblowyouandyourglovesofferthatrailin’intertheMarsh。"

"Itrustnot，"returnedCalvert，smiling。

"Andwhy？"

"Becauseitwoulddeprivemeofthepleasureofafewmoments’

conversationwithyou——andI’veonlyonepairofgloveswithme。"

Hewasstillwatchingherbeautifuleyes——respectfully，admiringly，andstrategically。ForhewasquiteconvincedthatifheDIDmoveshewouldcertainlydischargeoneorbothbarrelsathim。

"Where’stherestofyou？"shecontinuedsharply。

"Aboutthreehundredyardsaway，inthecovert，notnearenoughtotroubleyou。"

"Willtheycomehere？"

"Itrustnot。"

"Youtrustnot？"sherepeatedscornfully。"Why？

"Becausetheywouldbedisobeyingorders。"

Sheloweredhergunslightly，butkeptherblackbrowslevelledathim。"IreckonI’mamatchforYOU，"shesaid，withaslightlycontemptuousglanceathisslightfigure，andopenedthedoor。Foramomenttheystoodlookingateachother。Hesaw，besidesthehandsomefaceandeyesthathadcharmedhim，atallslimfigure，madebroaderacrosstheshouldersbyanopenpea—jacketthatshowedaman’sredflannelshirtbeltedatthewaistoverablueskirt，withthecollarknottedbyasailor’sblackhandkerchief，andturnedbackoveraprettythoughsunburntthroat。Shesawaratherundersizedyoungfellowinajauntyundressuniform，scantofgoldbraid，andbearingonlythesinglegoldshoulder—barsofhisrank，butscrupulouslyneatandwellfitting。Light—coloredhaircroppedclose，thesmallestoflightmoustaches，clearandpenetratingblueeyes，andafewfrecklescompletedapicturethatdidnotprepossessher。Shewasthereforethemoreinclinedtoresenttheperfecteaseandself—possessionwithwhichthestrangercarriedoffthesemanifestdefectsbeforeher。

Shelaidasidethegun，putherhandsdeepinthepocketsofherpea—jacket，and，slightlysquaringhershoulders，saidcurtly，"Whatdoyouwant？"

"Averylittleinformation，whichItrustitwillnottroubleyoutogiveme。MymenhavejustdiscoveredtheuniformbelongingtoadeserterfromtheFortlyinginthebushesyonder。Canyougivemetheslightestideahowitcamethere？"

"Whatrighthaveyoutrapseingoverourproperty？"shesaid，turninguponhimsharply，withaslightpalingofcolor。

"Nonewhatever。"

"Thenwhatdidyoucomefor？"

"Toaskthatpermission，incaseyouwouldgivemenoinformation。"

"Whydon’tyouaskmybrother，andnotawoman？Wereyouafraid？"

"Hecouldhardlyhavedonemethehonorofplacingmeinmoreperilthanyouhave，"returnedCalvert，smiling。"ThenIhavethepleasureofaddressingMissCulpepper？"

"I’mJimCulpepper’ssister。"

"And，Ibelieve，equallyabletogiveorrefusethepermissionI

ask。"

"AndwhatifIrefuse？"

"ThenIhaveonlytoaskpardonforhavingtroubledyou，goback，andreturnherewiththetide。Youdon’tresistTHATwithashot—

gun，doyou？"heaskedpleasantly。

MaggieCulpepperwasalreadyfamiliarwiththeacceptedtheoryofthesupremejurisdictionoftheFederalSea。Shehalfturnedherbackuponhim，partlytoshowhercontempt，butpartlytoevadethedominationofhisclear，good—humored，andself—sustainedlittleeyes。

"Idon’tknowanythin’aboutyourdeserters，norwhatragso’

theirshappentobefloateduphere，"shesaid，angrily，"anddon’tcareto。Youkindowhatyoulike。"

"ThenI’mafraidIshouldremainherealittlelonger，MissCulpepper;butmyduty"——

"Yourwot？"sheinterrupted，disdainfully。

"IsupposeIAMtalkingshop，"hesaidsmilingly。"Thenmybusiness"——

"Yourbusiness——pickin’uphalf—starvedrunaways！"

"And，Itrust，sometimesakindfriend，"hesuggested，withagravebow。

"YouTRUST？Lookyer，youngman，shesaid，withherquick，fierce，littlelaugh，"IreckonyouTRUSTaheaptoomuch！"Shewouldliketohaveadded，"withyourfreckledface，redhair，andlittleeyes"——butthiswouldhaveobligedhertofacethemagain，whichshedidnotcaretodo。

Calvertsteppedback，liftedhishandtohiscap，stillpleasantly，andthenwalkedgravelyalongthegallery，downthesteps，andtowardsthecover。Fromherwindow，unseen，shefollowedhisneatlittlefiguremovingundeviatinglyon，withoutlookingtotheleftorright，andstilllesstowardsthehousehehadjustquitted。

Thenshesawthesunlightflashoncross—beltplatesandsteelbarrels，andalightbluelineissuedfromoutthedarkgreenbushes，roundthepoint，anddisappeared。Andthenitsuddenlyoccurredtoherwhatshehadbeendoing！This，then，washerfirststeptowardsthatfancyshehadsolatelyconceived，quarrelledoverwithherbrother，andlayawakelastnighttoplaceanew，inspiteofallopposition！ThiswasherbrilliantideaofdazzlingandsubduingLogportandtheFort！Hadshegrownsilly，orwhathadhappened？Couldshehavedreamedofthecomingofthiswhipper—snapper，withhisinsufferableairs，afterthatbeggarlydeserter？IamafraidthatforafewmomentsthemiserablefugitivehadassmallaplaceinMaggie’ssympathyastheredoubtablewhipper—snapperhimself。Andnowthecherisheddreamoftriumphandconquestwasover！Whata"looney"shehadbeen！

Insteadofinvitinghimin，andoutdoinghimin"companymanners，"

and"fooling"himaboutthedeserter，andthenblazinguponhimafterwardsatLogportinthegloryofherfirstspentwealthandfinery，shehaddrivenhimaway！

Andnow"he’llgoandtell——telltheFortgirlsofhishairbreadthescapefromtheclawsoftheKingfisher’sdaughter！"

Thethoughtbroughtafewbittertearstohereyes，butshewipedthemaway。ThethoughtbroughtalsotheterribleconvictionthatJimwasright，thattherecouldbenothingbutopenantagonismbetweenthemandthetraducersoftheirparents，assheherselfhadinstinctivelyshown！Butshepresentlywipedthatconvictionawayalso，asshehadhertears。

HalfanhourlatershewasattractedbytheappearancefromthewindowsofcertainstragglingbluespotsontheuplandthatseemedmovingdiagonallytowardstheMarsh。ShedidnotknowthatitwasCalvert’ssecond"detail"joininghim，butbelievedforamomentthathehadnotyetdeparted，andwasstrangelyrelieved。Stilllaterthefrequentdisturbedcriesofcoot，heron，andmarsh—hen，recognizingthepresenceofunusualinvadersoftheirsolitude，distractedheryetmore，andforcedheratlastwithincreasingcolorandanuneasysenseofshynesstostealouttothegalleryforaswiftfurtivesurveyoftheMarsh。Butanutterlyunexpectedsightmethereyes，andkepthermotionless。

Thebirdswererisingeverywhereanddriftingawaywithquerulousperturbationbeforeasmallbutaugmentedbluedetachmentthatwasmovingwithmonotonousregularitytowardsthepointofbusheswhereshehadseentheyoungofficerpreviouslydisappear。Intheirmidst，betweentwosoldierswithfixedbayonets，marchedthemanwhomevenatthatdistancesheinstantlyrecognizedasthedeserteroftheprecedingnight，intheveryclothesshehadgivenhim。Tocompleteherconsternation，alittletotherightmarchedtheyoungofficeralso，butaccompaniedby，andapparentlyonthemostamicabletermswith，Jim——herownbrother！

Toforgetallelseanddartdownthesteps，flyingtowardsthepointofbushes，scarcelyknowingwhyorwhatshewasdoing，wastoMaggietheimpulseandworkofamoment。Whenshehadreacheditthepartywerenottwentypacesaway。Buthereashynessandhesitationagainseizedher，andsheshrankbackinthebusheswithaninstinctivecrytoherbrotherinarticulateuponherlips。Theycamenearer，theywereoppositetoher;herbrotherJimkeepingstepwiththeinvader，andevenconversingwithhimwithananimationshehadseldomseenuponhisface——theypassed！Shehadbeenunnoticedexceptbyone。Therovingeyeofthedeserterhaddetectedherhandsomefaceamongtheleaves，slightlyturnedtowardsit，andpouredouthiswholesoulinasingleswiftwinkofeloquentbutindescribableconfidence。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读