AtthistheotherplayersbegantoregardClarencesingularly,oneortwoofthespectatorssmiled,andtheboy,coloring,movedawkwardlyaway。Buthissleevewascaughtbythesuccessfulplayer,who,detaininghimgently,putthreegoldpiecesintohishand。
\"That\'sYOURshare,sonny,\"hewhispered。
\"Share——forwhat?\"stammeredtheastoundedClarence。
\"Forbringingme\'theluck,\'\"saidtheman。
Clarencestared。\"AmI——to——toplaywithit?\"hesaid,glancingatthecoinsandthenatthetable,inignoranceofthestranger\'smeaning。
\"No,no!\"saidthemanhurriedly,\"don\'tdothat。You\'llloseit,sonny,sure!Don\'tyousee,YOUBRINGTHELUCKTOOTHERS,nottoyourself。Keepit,oldman,andrunhome!\"
\"Idon\'twantit!Iwon\'thaveit!\"saidClarencewithaswiftrecollectionofthemanipulationofhispursethatmorning,andasuddendistrustofallmankind。
\"There!\"Heturnedbacktothetableandlaidthemoneyonthefirstvacantcardhesaw。Inanothermoment,asitseemedtohim,itwasrakedawaybythedealer。Asenseofreliefcameoverhim。
\"There!\"saidtheman,withanawedvoiceandastrange,fatuouslookinhiseye。\"WhatdidItellyou?Yousee,it\'sallusso!
Now,\"headdedroughly,\"getupandgetouto\'this,aforeyoulosethebootsandshirtoffye。\"
Clarencedidnotwaitforasecondcommand。Withanotherglanceroundtheroom,hebegantomakehiswaythroughthecrowdtowardsthefront。Butinthatpartingglancehecaughtaglimpseofawomanpresidingovera\"wheeloffortune\"inacorner,whosefaceseemedfamiliar。Helookedagain,timidly。Inspiteofanextraordinaryhead-dressorcrownthatsheworeasthe\"GoddessofFortune,\"herecognized,twistedinitstinsel,acertainscarletvinewhichhehadseenbefore;inspiteofthehoarseformulawhichshewascontinuallyrepeating,herecognizedtheforeignaccent。
Itwasthewomanofthestage-coach!Withasuddendreadthatshemightrecognizehim,andlikewisedemandhisservices\"forluck,\"
heturnedandfled。
Oncemoreintheopenair,therecameuponhimavagueloathingandhorroroftherestlessmadnessandfeverishdistractionofthishalf-civilizedcity。Itwasthemorepowerfulthatitwasvague,andtheoutcomeofsomeinwardinstinct。Hefoundhimselflongingforthepureairandsympatheticlonelinessoftheplainsandwilderness;hebegantoyearnforthecompanionshipofhishumbleassociates——theteamster,thescoutGildersleeve,andevenJimHooker。Butaboveallandbeforeallwasthewilddesiretogetawayfromthesemaddeningstreetsandtheirbewilderingoccupants。
Heranbacktothebaker\'s,gatheredhispurchasestogether,tookadvantageofafriendlydoorwaytostrapthemonhisboyishshoulders,slippedintoasidestreet,andstruckoutatoncefortheoutskirts。
Ithadbeenhisfirstintentiontotakestagetothenearestminingdistrict,butthediminutionofhissmallcapitalforbadethatoutlay,andhedecidedtowalktherebythehighroad,ofwhosegeneraldirectionhehadinformedhimself。Inhalfanhourthelightsoftheflat,strugglingcity,andtheirreflectionintheshallow,turbidriverbeforeit,hadsunkwellbehindhim。Theairwascoolandsoft;ayellowmoonswamintheslighthazethatroseabovethetules;inthedistanceafewscatteredcottonwoodsandsycamoresmarkedlikesentinelstheroad。Whenhehadwalkedsomedistancehesatdownbeneathoneofthemtomakeafrugalsupperfromthedryrationsinhispack,butintheabsenceofanyspringhewasforcedtoquenchhisthirstwithaglassofwaterinawaysidetavern。Herehewasgood-humoredlyofferedsomethingstronger,whichhedeclined,andrepliedtocertaincuriousinterrogationsbysayingthatheexpectedtoovertakehisfriendsinawagonfurtheron。Anewdistrustofmankindhadbeguntomaketheboyanadeptininnocentfalsehood,themoredeceptiveashiscareless,cheerfulmanner,theresultofhisreliefatleavingthecity,andhisperfecteaseinthelovingcompanionshipofnightandnature,certainlygavenoindicationofhishomelessnessandpoverty。
Itwaslongpastmidnight,when,wearyinbody,butstillhopefulandhappyinmind,heturnedoffthedustyroadintoavastrollingexpanseofwildoats,withthesamesenseofsecurityofrestasatravelertohisinn。Here,completelyscreenedfromviewbythetallstalksofgrainthatrosethicklyaroundhimtotheheightofaman\'sshoulder,hebeatdownafewofthemforabed,onwhichhedepositedhisblanket。Placinghispackforapillow,hecurledhimselfupinhisblanket,andspeedilyfellasleep。
Heawokeatsunrise,refreshed,invigorated,andhungry。Buthewasforcedtodeferhisfirstself-preparedbreakfastuntilhehadreachedwater,andalessdangerousplacethanthewild-oatfieldtobuildhisfirstcampfire。Thishefoundamilefurtheron,nearsomedwarfwillowsonthebankofahalf-drystream。Ofhisvariouseffortstopreparehisfirstmeal,thefirewasthemostsuccessful;thecoffeewassomewhattoosubstantiallythick,andthebaconandherringlackeddefinitenessofqualityfromhavingbeencookedinthesamevessel。InthisboyishpicnichemissedSusy,andrecalled,perhapsalittlebitterly,hercoldnessatparting。Butthenoveltyofhissituation,thebrilliantsunshineandsenseoffreedom,andtheroadalreadyawakeningtodustylifewithpassingteams,dismissedeverythingbutthefuturefromhismind。Readjustinghispack,hesteppedoncheerily。Atnoonhewasovertakenbyateamster,whoinreturnforamatchtolighthispipegavehimaliftofadozenmiles。ItistobefearedthatClarence\'saccountofhimselfwasequallyfancifulwithhispreviousstory,andthattheteamsterpartedfromhimwithagenuineregret,andahopethathewouldsoonbeovertakenbyhisfriendsalongtheroad。\"Andmindthatyouain\'tsuchafoolagintolet\'emmakeyoutotetheirdod-blastedtoolsfurthem!\"headdedunsuspectingly,pointingtoClarence\'sminingoutfit。Thussavedtheheaviestpartoftheday\'sjourney,fortheroadwascontinuallyrisingfromtheplainsduringthelastsixmiles,Clarencewasyetabletocoveraconsiderabledistanceonfootbeforehehaltedforsupper。Herehewasagainfortunate。Anemptylumberteamwateringatthesamespring,itsdriverofferedtotakeClarence\'spurchases——fortheboyhadprofitedbyhislatefriend\'ssuggestiontopersonallydetachhimselffromhisequipment——toBuckeyeMillsforadollar,whichwouldalsoincludea\"shakedownpassage\"forhimselfonthefloorofthewagon。\"I
reckonyou\'vebeenfoolin\'awayinSacramentothemoneyyerparentsgiveyerforreturnstagefare,eh?Don\'tlie,sonny,\"headdedgrimly,asthenowartfulClarencesmileddiplomatically,\"I\'vebeentharmyself!\"Luckily,theexcusethathewas\"tiredandsleepy\"preventedfurtherdangerousquestioning,andtheboywassoonreallyindeepslumberonthewagonfloor。
Heawokebetimestofindhimselfalreadyinthemountains。BuckeyeMillswasastragglingsettlement,andClarenceprudentlystoppedanyembarrassinginquiryfromhisfriendbydroppingoffthewagonwithhisequipmentastheyenteredit,andhurriedlysaying\"Good-
by\"fromacrossroadthroughthewoods。Hehadlearnedthatthenearestminingcampwasfivemilesaway,anditsdirectionwasindicatedbyalongwooden\"flume,\"orwater-way,thatalternatelyappearedanddisappearedontheflankofthemountainopposite。
Thecooleranddrierair,thegratefulshadowofpineandbay,andthespicybalsamicodorsthateverywheregreetedhim,thrilledandexhilaratedhim。Thetrailplungingsometimesintoanundisturbedforest,hestartedthebirdsbeforehimlikeaflightofarrowsthroughitsdimrecesses;attimeshehungbreathlesslyoverthebluedepthsofcanyonswherethesameforestswererepeatedathousandfeetbelow。Towardsnoonhestruckintoaruderoad——
evidentlythethoroughfareofthelocality——andwassurprisedtofindthatit,aswellastheadjacentsoilwhereverdisturbed,wasadeepIndianred。Everywhere,alongitssides,powderingthebanksandbolesoftreeswithitsruddystain,inmoundsandhillocksofpileddirtontheroad,orinliquidpaint-likepools,whenatricklingstreamhadformedagutteracrossit,therewasalwaysthesamedeepsanguinarycolor。Onceortwiceitbecamemorevividincontrastwiththewhiteteethofquartzthatpeepedthroughitfromthehillsideorcrossedtheroadincrumbledstrata。OneofthosepiecesClarencepickedupwithaquickeningpulse。ItwasveinedandstreakedwithshiningmicaandtinyglitteringcubesofmineralthatLOOKEDlikegold!
Theroadnowbegantodescendtowardsawindingstream,shrunkenbydroughtandditching,thatglareddazzinglyinthesunlightfromitswhitebarsofsand,orglistenedinshiningsheetsandchannels。Alongitsbanks,andevenencroachinguponitsbed,werescatteredafewmudcabins,strange-lookingwoodentroughsandgutters,andhereandthere,glancingthroughtheleaves,thewhitecanvasoftents。Thestumpsoffelledtreesandblackenedspaces,asofrecentfires,markedthestreamoneitherside。AsuddensenseofdisappointmentovercameClarence。Itlookedvulgar,common,andworsethanall——FAMILIAR。Itwasliketheunlovelyoutskirtsofadozenotherprosaicsettlementshehadseeninlessromanticlocalities。Inthatmuddyredstream,pouringoutofawoodengutter,inwhichthreeorfourbearded,slouching,half-
nakedfigureswererakinglikechiffonniers,therewasnothingtosuggesttheroyalmetal。Yethewassoabsorbedingazingatthescene,andhadwalkedsorapidlyduringthepastfewminutes,thathewasstartled,onturningasharpcorneroftheroad,tocomeabruptlyuponanoutlyingdwelling。
Itwasanondescriptbuilding,halfcanvasandhalfboards。Theinteriorseenthroughtheopendoorwasfittedupwithsideshelves,acountercarelesslypiledwithprovisions,groceries,clothing,andhardware——withnoattemptatdisplayorevenordinaryselection——andatable,onwhichstoodademijohnandthreeorfourdirtyglasses。Tworoughlydressedmen,whoselong,mattedbeardsandhairleftonlytheireyesandlipsvisibleinthetangledhirsutewildernessbelowtheirslouchedhats,wereleaningagainsttheoppositesidesofthedoorway,smoking。Almostthrownagainstthemintherapidmomentumofhisdescent,Clarencehaltedviolently。
\"Well,sonny,youneedn\'tcapsizetheshanty,\"saidthefirstman,withouttakinghispipefromhislips。
\"Ifyerlookingfuryerma,sheandyerAuntJanehevjestgoneovertoParsonDoolittle\'stotaketea,\"observedthesecondmanlazily。\"Sheallowedthatyou\'dwait。\"
\"I\'m——I\'m——goingto——tothemines,\"explainedClarence,withsomehesitation。\"Isupposethisistheway。\"
Thetwomentooktheirpipesfromtheirlips,lookedateachother,completelywipedeveryvestigeofexpressionfromtheirfaceswiththebackoftheirhands,turnedtheireyesintotheinteriorofthecabin,andsaid,\"Willyercomeyer,nowWILLyer?\"Thusadjured,halfadozenmen,alsobeardedandcarryingpipesintheirmouths,straggledoutoftheshanty,and,filinginfrontofit,squatteddown,withtheirbacksagainsttheboards,andgazedcomfortablyattheboy。Clarencebegantofeeluneasy。
\"I\'llgive,\"saidone,takingouthispipeandgrimlyeyingClarence,\"ahundreddollarsforhimashestands。\"
\"Andseein\'ashe\'sgotthatbran-newrig-outo\'tools,\"saidanother,\"I\'llgiveahundredandfifty——andthedrinks。I\'vebeen,\"headdedapologetically,\"wantin\'sunthin\'likethisalongtime。\"
\"Well,gen\'lemen,\"saidthemanwhohadfirstspokentohim,\"lookin\'athimbyandlarge;takin\'in,sotospeak,thegin\'ralgaitofhiminsingleharness;bearin\'inmindtheperfectfreshnessofhim,andthecoolnessandsizeofhischeek——theeasydownyness,previousness,andutterdon\'t-care-a-damnativenessofhiscomingyer,Ithinktwohundredain\'ttoomuchforhim,andwe\'llcallitabargain。\"
Clarence\'spreviousexperienceofthisgrim,smilelessCalifornianchaffwasnotcalculatedtorestorehisconfidence。Hedrewawayfromthecabin,andrepeateddoggedly,\"Iaskedyouifthiswasthewaytothemines。\"
\"ItAREthemines,andtheseyerearetheminers,\"saidthefirstspeakergravely。\"Permitmetointerdoose\'em。Thisyere\'sShastaJim,thisyere\'sShotcardBilly,thisisNastyBob,andthisSlumgullionDick。Thisyere\'stheDooko\'ChathamStreet,theLivin\'Skeleton,andme!\"
\"Mayweask,fairyoungsir,\"saidtheLivingSkeleton,who,however,seemedinfairlyrobustcondition,\"whencecameyeonthewingsofthemorning,andwhoseMarbleHallsyehevleftdesolate?\"
\"Icameacrosstheplains,andgotintoStocktontwodaysagoonMr。Peyton\'strain,\"saidClarence,indignantly,seeingnoreasonnowtoconcealanything。\"IcametoSacramentotofindmycousin,whoisn\'tlivingthereanymore。Idon\'tseeanythingfunnyinTHAT!Icameheretotheminestodiggold——because——becauseMr。
Silsbee,themanwhowastobringmehereandmighthavefoundmycousinforme,waskilledbyIndians。\"
\"Holdup,sonny。Letmehelpye,\"saidthefirstspeaker,risingtohisfeet。\"YOUdidn\'tgetkilledbyInjinsbecauseyougotlostoutofatrainwithSilsbee\'sinfantdarter。Peytonpickedyouupwhileyouwastakin\'careofher,andtwodaysarteryoukemuptothebroken-downSilsbeewagons,withallthefolkslyin\'thereslartered。\"
\"Yes,sir,\"saidClarence,breathlesslywithastonishment。
\"And,\"continuedtheman,puttinghishandgravelytohisheadasiftoassisthismemory,\"whenyouwasallaloneontheplainswiththatlittlechildyousawoneofthoseredskins,asneartoyouasIbe,watchin\'thetrain,andyoudidn\'tbreatheormovewhilehewasthere?\"
\"Yes,sir,\"saidClarenceeagerly。
\"AndyouwasshotatbyPeyton,hethinkin\'youwasanInjuninthemesquitegrass?Andyouonceshotabuffalothathadbeenpitchedwithyoudownagully——allbyyourself?\"
\"Yes,\"saidClarence,crimsonwithwonderandpleasure。\"Youknowme,then?\"
\"Well,ye-e-es,\"saidthemangravely,partinghismustachewithhisfingers。\"Yousee,YOU\'VEBEENHEREBEFORE。\"
\"Before!Me?\"repeatedtheastoundedClarence。
\"Yes,before。Lastnight。Youwastallerthen,andhadn\'tcutyourhair。Youcursedagooddealmorethanyoudonow。Youdrankaman\'sshareofwhiskey,andyouborrowedfiftydollarstogettoSacramentowith。Ireckonyouhaven\'tgotitaboutyounow,eh?\"
Clarence\'sbrainreeledinutterconfusionandhopelessterror。
Washegoingcrazy,orhadthesecruelmenlearnedhisstoryfromhisfaithlessfriends,andthiswasapartoftheplot?Hestaggeredforward,butthemenhadrisenandquicklyencircledhim,asiftopreventhisescape。Invagueandhelplessdesperationhegasped——
\"Whatplaceisthis?\"
\"FolkscallitDeadman\'sGulch。\"
Deadman\'sGulch!Aflashofintelligencelituptheboy\'sblindconfusion。Deadman\'sGulch!CouldithavebeenJimHookerwhohadreallyrunaway,andhadtakenhisname?Heturnedhalf-
imploringlytothefirstspeaker。
\"Wasn\'theolderthanme,andbigger?Didn\'thehaveasmooth,roundfaceandlittleeyes?Didn\'thetalkhoarse?Didn\'the——\"
Hestoppedhopelessly。
\"Yes;oh,hewasn\'tabitlikeyou,\"saidthemanmusingly。\"Yesee,that\'stheh-llofit!You\'realtogetherTOOMANYandTOO
VARIOUSfurthiscamp。\"
\"Idon\'tknowwho\'sbeenherebefore,orwhattheyhavesaid,\"saidClarencedesperately,yeteveninthatdesperationretainingthedoggedloyaltytohisoldplaymate,whichwaspartofhisnature。
\"Idon\'tknow,andIdon\'tcare——there!I\'mClarenceBrantofKentucky;IstartedinSilsbee\'strainfromSt。Jo,andI\'mgoingtothemines,andyoucan\'tstopme!\"
Themanwhohadfirstspokenstarted,lookedkeenlyatClarence,andthenturnedtotheothers。Thegentlemanknownasthelivingskeletonhadobtrudedhishugebulkinfrontoftheboy,and,gazingathim,saidreflectively,\"Darnedifitdon\'tlooklikeoneofBrant\'spups——sure!\"
\"AiryeanyrelationtoKernelHamiltonBrantofLooeyville?\"askedthefirstspeaker。
Againthatoldquestion!PoorClarencehesitated,despairingly。
Washetogothroughthesamecross-examinationhehadundergonewiththePeytons?\"Yes,\"hesaiddoggedly,\"Iam——buthe\'sdead,andyouknowit。\"
\"Dead——ofcourse。\"\"Sartin。\"\"He\'sdead。\"\"TheKernel\'splanted,\"saidthemeninchorus。
\"Well,yes,\"reflectedtheLivingSkeletonostentatiously,asonewhospokefromexperience。\"HamBrant\'saboutasbonynowastheymake\'em。\"
\"Youbet!Aboutthedustiest,deadestcorpseyoukinturnout,\"
corroboratedSlumgullionDick,noddinghisheadgloomilytotheothers;\"inpointo\'fack,esacorpse,aboutthelastoneIshouldkeertogohuntin\'fur。\"
\"TheKernel\'stech\'udbecoldandclammy,\"concludedtheDukeofChathamStreet,whohadnotyetspoken,\"sure。Butwhatdidyermammysayaboutit?Isshegettin\'marriedagin?DidSHEsendyehere?\"
ItseemedtoClarencethattheDukeofChathamStreetherereceivedakickfromhiscompanions;buttheboyrepeateddoggedly——
\"IcametoSacramentotofindmycousin,JacksonBrant;buthewasn\'tthere。\"
\"JacksonBrant!\"echoedthefirstspeaker,glancingattheothers。
\"Didyourmothersayhewasyourcousin?\"
\"Yes,\"saidClarencewearily。\"Good-by。\"
\"Hullo,sonny,whereareyougoing?\"
\"Todiggold,\"saidtheboy。\"Andyouknowyoucan\'tpreventme,ifitisn\'tonyourclaim。Iknowthelaw。\"HehadheardMr。
PeytondiscussitatStockton,andhefanciedthatthemen,whowerewhisperingamongthemselves,lookedkinderthanbefore,andasiftheywerenolonger\"acting\"tohim。Thefirstspeakerlaidhishandonhisshoulder,andsaid,\"Allright,comewithme,andI\'llshowyouwheretodig。\"
\"Whoareyou?\"saidClarence。\"Youcalledyourselfonly\'me。\'\"
\"Well,youcancallmeFlynn——TomFlynn。\"
\"Andyou\'llshowmewhereIcandig——myself?\"
\"Iwill。\"
\"Doyouknow,\"saidClarencetimidly,yetwithahalf-conscioussmile,\"thatI——Ikinderbringluck?\"
Themanlookeddownuponhim,andsaidgravely,but,asitstruckClarence,withanewkindofgravity,\"Ibelieveyou。\"
\"Yes,\"saidClarenceeagerly,astheywalkedalongtogether,\"I
broughtlucktoamaninSacramentotheotherday。\"Andherelatedwithgreatearnestnesshisexperienceinthegamblingsaloon。Notcontentwiththat——thesealedfountainsofhischildishdeepbeingbrokenupbysomemysterioussympathy——hespokeofhishospitableexploitwiththepassengersatthewaysidebar,ofthefindingofhisFortunatuspurseandhisdepositatthebank。Whetherthatcharacteristicold-fashionedreticencewhichhadbeensuchanimportantfactorforgoodorillinhisfuturehadsuddenlydesertedhim,orwhethersomeextraordinaryprepossessioninhiscompanionhadaffectedhim,hedidnotknow;butbythetimethepairhadreachedthehillsideFlynnwasinpossessionofalltheboy\'shistory。Ononepointonlywashisreserveunshaken。
ConsciousalthoughhewasofJimHooker\'sduplicity,heaffectedtotreatitasacomrade\'sjoke。
Theyhaltedatlastinthemiddleofanapparentlyfertilehillside。Clarenceshiftedhisshovelfromhisshoulders,unslunghispan,andlookedatFlynn。\"Diganywherehere,whereyoulike,\"
saidhiscompanioncarelessly,\"andyou\'llbesuretofindthecolor。Fillyourpanwiththedirt,gotothatsluice,andletthewaterruninonthetopofthepan——workin\'itroundso,\"headded,illustratingarotarymotionwiththevessel。\"Keepdoingthatuntilallthesoiliswashedoutofit,andyouhaveonlytheblacksandatthebottom。Thenworkthatthesamewayuntilyouseethecolor。Don\'tbeafraidofwashingthegoldoutofthepan——youcouldn\'tdoitifyoutried。There,I\'llleaveyouhere,andyouwaittillIcomeback。\"Withanothergravenodandsomethinglikeasmileintheonlyvisiblepartofhisbeardedface——hiseyes——hestroderapidlyaway。
Clarencedidnotlosetime。Selectingaspotwherethegrasswaslessthick,hebrokethroughthesoilandturneduptwoorthreespadefulsofredsoil。Whenhehadfilledthepanandraisedittohisshoulder,hewasastoundedatitsweight。Hedidnotknowthatitwasduetotheredprecipitateofironthatgaveititscolor。
Staggeringalongwithhisburdentotherunningsluice,whichlookedlikeanopenwoodengutter,atthefootofthehill,hebegantocarefullycarryoutFlynn\'sdirection。Thefirstdipofthepanintherunningwatercarriedoffhalfthecontentsofthepaninliquidpaint-likeooze。Foramomenthegavewaytoboyishsatisfactioninthesightandtouchofthisunctuoussolution,anddabbledhisfingersinit。Afewmomentsmoreofrinsingandhecametothesedimentoffineblacksandthatwasbeneathit。
Anotherplungeandswillingofwaterinthepan,and——couldhebelievehiseyes!——afewyellowtinyscales,scarcelylargerthanpins\'heads,glitteredamongthesand。Hepoureditoff。Buthiscompanionwasright;thelightersandshiftedfromsidetosidewiththewater,buttheglitteringpointsremainedadheringbytheirowntinyspecificgravitytothesmoothsurfaceofthebottom。Itwas\"thecolor\"——gold!
Clarence\'sheartseemedtogiveagreatleapwithinhim。Avisionofwealth,ofindependence,ofpower,sprangbeforehisdazzledeyes,and——ahandlightlytouchedhimontheshoulder。
Hestarted。Inhiscompletepreoccupationandexcitement,hehadnotheardtheclatterofhorse-hoofs,andtohisamazementFlynnwasalreadybesidehim,mounted,andleadingasecondhorse。
\"Youkinride?\"hesaidshortly。
\"Yes\"stammeredClarence;\"but——\"
\"BUT——we\'veonlygottwohourstoreachBuckeyeMillsintimetocatchthedownstage。Dropallthat,jumpup,andcomewithme!\"
\"ButI\'vejustfoundgold,\"saidtheboyexcitedly。
\"AndI\'vejustfoundyour——cousin。Come!\"
HespurredhishorseacrossClarence\'sscatteredimplements,halfhelped,halflifted,theboyintothesaddleofthesecondhorse,and,withacutofhisriataovertheanimal\'shaunches,thenextmomenttheywerebothgallopingfuriouslyaway。
CHAPTERIX
Tornsuddenlyfromhisprospectivefuture,buttoomuchdominatedbythemanbesidehimtoprotest,Clarencewassilentuntilariseintheroad,afewminuteslater,partlyabatedtheirheadlongspeed,andgavehimchancetorecoverhisbreathandcourage。
\"Whereismycousin?\"heasked。
\"IntheSoutherncounty,twohundredmilesfromhere。\"
\"Arewegoingtohim?\"
\"Yes。\"
Theyrodefuriouslyforwardagain。Itwasnearlyhalfanhourbeforetheycametoalongerascent。ClarencecouldseethatFlynnwasfromtimetotimeexamininghimcuriouslyunderhisslouchedhat。Thissomewhatembarrassedhim,butinhissingularconfidenceinthemannodistrustmingledwithit。
\"Yeneversawyour——cousin?\"heasked。
\"No,\"saidClarence;\"norheme。Idon\'tthinkheknewmemuch,anyway。
\"Howoldmoutyebe,Clarence?\"
\"Eleven。\"
\"Well,asyou\'resuthinofapup\"——Clarencestarted,andrecalledPeyton\'sfirstcriticismofhim——\"Ireckontotellyesuthin。Yeain\'tgoin\'tobeskeert,orafeard,orloseyersand,Ikalkilate,forskunkin\'ain\'tinyourbreed。Well,wotefItoldyethatthishyer——thishyer——COUSINo\'yourswasthebiggestdevilonhung;
thathe\'djustkilledaman,andhadtoliteoutelsewhere,andTHET\'Swhyhedidn\'tshowupinSacramento——whatifItoldyouthat?\"
Clarencefeltthatthiswassomehowalittletoomuch。Hewasperfectlytruthful,andliftinghisfrankeyestoFlynn,hesaid,\"IshouldthinkyouweretalkingagooddeallikeJimHooker!\"
Hiscompanionstared,andsuddenlyreineduphishorse;then,burstingintoashoutoflaughter,hegallopedahead,fromtimetotimeshakinghishead,slappinghislegs,andmakingthedimwoodsringwithhisboisterousmirth。Thenassuddenlybecomingthoughtfulagain,herodeonrapidlyforhalfanhour,onlyspeakingtoClarencetourgehimforward,andassistinghisprogressbylashingthehaunchesofhishorse。Luckily,theboywasagoodrider——afactwhichFlynnseemedtothoroughlyappreciate——orhewouldhavebeenunseatedadozentimes。
AtlastthestragglingshedsofBuckeyeMillscameintosofterpurpleviewontheoppositemountain。ThenlayinghishandonClarence\'sshoulderashereinedinathisside,Flynnbrokethesilence。
\"There,boy,\"hesaid,wipingthemirthfultearsfromhiseyes。\"I
wasonlyfoolin\'——onlytryin\'yergrit!ThisyercousinI\'mtakingyoutobeasquietandsoft-spokenandasold-fashionedezyoube。
Why,he\'sthatwrappedupinbooksandstudythathelivesaloneinabigadoberancherieamongaloto\'Spanish,andhedon\'tkeertoseehisowncountrymen!Why,he\'sevenchangedhisname,andcalleshimselfDonJuanRobinson!Buthe\'sveryrich;heownsthreeleaguesoflandandheapsofcattleandhorses,and,\"
glancingapprovinglyatClarence\'sseatinthesaddle,\"Ireckonyou\'llhevplentyoffunthar。\"
\"But,\"hesitatedClarence,towhomthisproposalseemedonlyarepetitionofPeyton\'scharitableoffer,\"IthinkI\'dbetterstayhereanddiggold——WITHYOU。\"
\"AndIthinkyou\'dbetternot,\"saidtheman,withagravitythatwasverylikeasettleddetermination。
\"ButmycousinnevercameformetoSacramento——norsent,norevenwrote,\"persistedClarenceindignantly。
\"NottoYOU,boy;buthewrotetothemanwhomhereckonedwouldbringyouthere——JackSilsbee——andleftitinthecareofthebank。
AndSilsbee,beingdead,didn\'tcomefortheletter;andasyoudidn\'taskforitwhenyoucame,anddidn\'tevenmentionSilsbee\'sname,thatsameletterwassentbacktoyourcousinthroughme,becausethebankthoughtweknewhiswhereabouts。Itcametothegulchbyanexpressrider,whilstyouwereprospectin\'onthehillside。Rememberin\'yourstory,Itookthelibertyofopeningit,andfoundoutthatyourcousinhadtoldSilsbeetobringyoustraighttohim。SoI\'monlydoin\'nowwhatSilsbeewouldhavedone。\"
AnymomentarydoubtorsuspicionthatmighthaveriseninClarence\'smindvanishedashemethiscompanion\'ssteadyandmasterfuleye。Evenhisdisappointmentwasforgotteninthecharmofthisnew-foundfriendshipandprotection。AndasitsoutsethadbeenmarkedbyanunusualburstofconfidenceonClarence\'spart,theboy,inhisgratitude,nowfeltsomethingofthetimidshynessofadeeperfeeling,andoncemorebecamereticent。
TheywereintimetosnatchahastymealatBuckeyeMillsbeforethestagearrived,andClarencenoticedthathisfriend,despitehisroughdressandlawlessaspect,provokedamarkeddegreeofrespectfromthosehemet——inwhich,perhaps,awholesomefearwasmingled。Itiscertainthatthetwobestplacesinthestageweregivenuptothemwithoutprotest,andthatacareless,almostsuperciliousinvitationtodrinkfromFlynnwasrespondedtowithsingularalacritybyall,includingeventwofastidiouslydressedandpreviouslyreservedpassengers。IamafraidthatClarenceenjoyedthisproofofhisfriend\'ssingulardominancewithaboyishpride,and,consciousofthecuriouseyesofthepassengers,directedoccasionallytohimself,wassomewhatostentatiousinhisfamiliaritywiththisbeardedautocrat。
Atnoonthenextdaytheyleftthestageatawaysideroadstation,andFlynnbrieflyinformedClarencethattheymustagaintakehorses。Thisatfirstseemeddifficultinthatout-of-the-waysettlement,wheretheyalonehadstopped,butawhisperfromthedriverintheearofthestation-masterproducedacoupleoffierymustangs,withthesameaccompanimentofcautiousaweandmystery。
Forthenexttwodaystheytraveledonhorseback,restingbynightatthelodgingsofoneorotherofFlynn\'sfriendsintheoutskirtsofalargetown,wheretheyarrivedinthedarkness,andleftbeforeday。Toanyonemoreexperiencedthanthesimple-mindedboyitwouldhavebeenevidentthatFlynnwaspurposelyavoidingthemoretraveledroadsandconveyances;andwhentheychangedhorsesagainthenextday\'sridewasthroughanapparentlyunbrokenwildernessofscatteredwoodandrollingplain。YettoClarence,withhispantheisticrelianceandjoyoussympathywithnature,thechangewasfilledwithexhilaratingpleasure。Thevastseasoftossingwildoats,thehillsidestillvariegatedwithstrangeflowers,thevirginfreshnessofuntroddenwoodsandleafyaisles,whosefloorsofmossorbarkwereundisturbedbyhumanfootprint,wereakeendelightandnovelty。Morethanthis,hisquickeye,trainedperceptions,andfrontierknowledgenowstoodhimingoodstead。Hisintuitivesenseofdistance,instinctsofwoodcraft,andhisunerringdetectionofthosesigns,landmarks,andguidepostsofnature,undistinguishabletoaughtbutbirdsandbeastsandsomechildren,werenowofthegreatestservicetohislessfavoredcompanion。Inthispartoftheirstrangepilgrimageitwastheboywhotookthelead。Flynn,whoduringthepasttwodaysseemedtohavefallenintoamoodofwatchfulreserve,noddedhisapprobation。\"Thissortofthing\'syerbestholt,boy,\"hesaid。\"Menandcitiesain\'tyourlittlegame。\"
Atthenextstopping-placeClarencehadasurprise。Theyhadagainenteredatownatnightfall,andlodgedwithanotherfriendofFlynn\'sinroomswhichfromvaguesoundsappearedtobeoveragamblingsaloon。Clarencewokelateinthemorning,and,descendingintothestreettomountfortheday\'sjourney,wasstartledtofindthatFlynnwasnotontheotherhorse,butthatawell-dressedandhandsomestrangerhadtakenhisplace。Butalaugh,andthefamiliarcommand,\"Jumpup,boy,\"madehimlookagain。ItWASFlynn,butcompletelyshavenofbeardandmustache,closelyclippedofhair,andinafastidiouslycutsuitofblack!
\"Thenyoudidn\'tknowme?\"saidFlynn。
\"Nottillyouspoke,\"repliedClarence。
\"Somuchthebetter,\"saidhisfriendsententiously,asheputspurstohishorse。Butastheycanteredthroughthestreet,Clarence,whohadalreadybecomeaccustomedtothestranger\'shirsuteadornment,feltalittlemoreaweofhim。Theprofileofthemouthandchinnowexposedtohissidelongglancewashardandstern,andslightlysaturnine。Althoughunableatthetimetoidentifyitwithanybodyhehadeverknown,itseemedtotheimaginativeboytobevaguelyconnectedwithsomesadexperience。
Buttheeyeswerethoughtfulandkindly,andtheboylaterbelievedthatifhehadbeenmorefamiliarwiththefacehewouldhaveloveditbetter。Foritwasthelastandonlydayhewastoseeit,as,latethatafternoon,afteradustyridealongmoretraveledhighways,theyreachedtheirjourney\'send。
Itwasalow-walledhouse,withred-tiledroofsshowingagainstthedarkgreenofvenerablepearandfigtrees,andasquarecourt-yardinthecentre,wheretheyhaddismounted。AfewwordsinSpanishfromFlynntooneoftheloungingpeonsadmittedthemtoawoodencorridor,andthencetoalong,lowroom,whichtoClarence\'seyesseemedliterallypiledwithbooksandengravings。HereFlynnhurriedlybadehimstaywhilehesoughtthehostinanotherpartofthebuilding。ButClarencedidnotmisshim;indeed,itmaybefeared,heforgoteventheobjectoftheirjourneyinthenewsensationsthatsuddenlythrongeduponhim,andtheboyishvistaofthefuturethattheyseemedtoopen。Hewasdazedandintoxicated。
Hehadneverseensomanybooksbefore;hehadneverconceivedofsuchlovelypictures。Andyetinsomevaguewayhethoughthemusthavedreamtofthematsometime。Hehadmountedachair,andwasgazingspellboundatanengravingofasea-fightwhenheheardFlynn\'svoice。
Hisfriendhadquietlyreenteredtheroom,incompanywithanoldish,half-foreign-lookingman,evidentlyhisrelation。Withnohelpingrecollection,withnomeansofcomparisonbeyondavagueideathathiscousinmightlooklikehimself,Clarencestoodhopelesslybeforehim。Hehadalreadymadeuphismindthathewouldhavetogothroughtheusualcross-questioninginregardtohisfatherandfamily;hehadevenforlornlythoughtofinventingsomeinnocentdetailstofillouthisimperfectandunsatisfactoryrecollection。But,glancingup,hewassurprisedtofindthathiselderlycousinwasasembarrassedashewas,Flynn,asusual,masterfullyinterposed。
\"Ofcourseyedon\'tremembereachother,andtharain\'tmuchthateitherofyouknowsaboutfamilymatters,Ireckon,\"hesaidgrimly;\"andasyourcousincallshimselfDonJuanRobinson,\"headdedtoClarence,\"it\'sjustaswellthatyoulet\'JacksonBrant\'
slide。Iknowhimbetterthanyou,butyou\'llgetusedtohim,andhetoyou,soonenough。Atleast,you\'dbetter,\"heconcluded,withhissingulargravity。
AsheturnedasiftoleavetheroomwithClarence\'sembarrassedrelative——muchtothatgentleman\'sapparentrelief——theboylookedupatthelatterandsaidtimidly——
\"MayIlookatthosebooks?\"
Hiscousinstopped,andglancedathimwiththefirstexpressionofinteresthehadshown。
\"Ah,youread;youlikebooks?\"
\"Yes,\"saidClarence。Ashiscousinremainedstilllookingathimthoughtfully,headded,\"Myhandsareprettyclean,butIcanwashthemfirst,ifyoulike。\"
\"Youmaylookatthem,\"saidDonJuansmilingly;\"andastheyareoldbooksyoucanwashyourhandsafterwards。\"And,turningtoFlynnsuddenly,withanairofrelief,\"ItellyouwhatI\'lldo——
I\'llteachhimSpanish!\"
Theylefttheroomtogether,andClarenceturnedeagerlytotheshelves。Theywereoldbooks,someindeedveryold,queerlybound,andworm-eaten。Somewereinforeignlanguages,butothersinclear,boldEnglishtype,withquaintwood-cutsandillustrations。
Oneseemedtobeachronicleofbattlesandsieges,withpicturedrepresentationsofcombatantsspittedwitharrows,cleanlyloppedoffinlimb,ortoppledoverdistinctlybyvisiblecannon-shot。Hewasdeepinitsperusalwhenheheardtheclatterofahorse\'shoofsinthecourt-yardandthevoiceofFlynn。Herantothewindow,andwasastonishedtoseehisfriendalreadyonhorseback,takingleaveofhishost。
ForoneinstantClarencefeltoneofthosesuddenrevulsionsoffeelingcommontohisage,butwhichhehadalwaystimidlyhiddenunderdoggeddemeanor。Flynn,hisonlyfriend!Flynn,hisonlyboyishconfidant!Flynn,hislatesthero,wasgoingawayandforsakinghimwithoutawordofparting!Itwastruethathehadonlyagreedtotakehimtohisguardian,butstillFlynnneednothavelefthimwithoutawordofhopeorencouragement!WithanyoneelseClarencewouldprobablyhavetakenrefugeinhisusualIndianstoicism,butthesamefeelingthathadimpelledhimtoofferFlynnhisboyishconfidencesontheirfirstmeetingnowoverpoweredhim。Hedroppedhisbook,ranoutintothecorridor,andmadehiswaytothecourt-yard,justasFlynngallopedoutfromthearch。
Buttheboyutteredadespairingshoutthatreachedtherider。Hedrewrein,wheeled,halted,andsatfacingClarenceimpatiently。
ToaddtoClarence\'sembarrassmenthiscousinhadlingeredinthecorridor,attractedbytheinterruption,andapeon,lounginginthearchway,obsequiouslyapproachedFlynn\'sbridle-rein。Buttheriderwavedhimoff,and,turningsternlytoClarence,said:——
\"What\'sthematternow?\"
\"Nothing,\"saidClarence,strivingtokeepbackthehottearsthatroseinhiseyes。\"Butyouweregoingawaywithoutsaying\'good-
by。\'You\'vebeenverykindtome,and——and——Iwanttothankyou!\"
AdeepflushcrossedFlynn\'sface。Thenglancingsuspiciouslytowardsthecorridor,hesaidhurriedly,——
\"DidHEsendyou?\"
\"No,Icamemyself。Iheardyougoing。\"
\"Allright。Good-by。\"HeleanedforwardasifabouttotakeClarence\'soutstretchedhand,checkedhimselfsuddenlywithagrimsmile,andtakingfromhispocketagoldcoinhandedittotheboy。
Clarencetookit,tosseditwithaproudgesturetothewaitingpeon,whocaughtitthankfully,drewbackastepfromFlynn,andsaying,withwhitecheeks,\"Ionlywantedtosaygood-by,\"droppedhishoteyestotheground。Butitdidnotseemtobehisownvoicethathadspoken,norhisownselfthathadpromptedtheact。
Therewasaquickinterchangeofglancesbetweenthedepartingguestandhislatehost,inwhichFlynn\'seyesflashedwithanodd,admiringfire,butwhenClarenceraisedhisheadagainhewasgone。
Andastheboyturnedbackwithabrokenhearttowardsthecorridor,hiscousinlaidhishanduponhisshoulder。
\"Muyhidalgamente,Clarence,\"hesaidpleasantly。\"Yes,weshallmakesomethingofyou!\"
CHAPTERX