The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-02


himself Of his tattercd coat; he then flllod and
lighted his pipe, and stretched himself full
length on the open hillside. az II TO bleach in
tho norco sun. Whio smoking he carelessly
psruscd tho fragment OF q newspaper which
had cnveloped his tobacco. and being struck
with some amusing paragraph. read 1t half
aloud again TO some imaginary auditor. en-
phnsi2lng Its humor with an hilarious slap upon
his leg.
Possibly from tho relaxation OF fatigue and
tho bath, which had become a vapor ono as he
alternately rolled and dried himself in tho
baking grass his eyes closed drcamiy He was
awakened by the sound of voices. They were
distant; they were vague; they approached no
nearer. He rolled himself to tho verge Of the
first preclpitous grassy descent. There was
another bank or plateau below him. and then
confused depth OF olive shadows. pierced hero
and there by the spiked helmets of pines There
was no trace of habitation. yet the voices were
those of some monotonous occupation. and
Lance distinctly heard through them the click
of crockery and the ring Of some household
utcnsil. 1t appeared to be the International.
half llstless. half perfunctory domestic dialogue
OF an old man and u girl, of which the words
were unintelligible Their voices indicated the
solitude OF the mountain. but without sad
ness; they were mysterious without being awe
inspiring They might have uttered the drear
lest commonplace but. in their vast isolation.
they seemed musical and eloquent. Lance
drew his first sigh-thcy had suggested dinner.
Careless az his nature was. he was too eau
tious to risk detection in broad daylight He
contented himself for the present with endeav
orlng to locate that particular part of the
depths from which the voices seemed TO rise.
1t was more difficult. however to select some
- t1,o,N ht1 oto
road. They're bound to have fire or show
n light when it's dark" he reasoned and sat
islcd with that reflection. lay down again.
Presently he began to amuse himself by toss
ing some silver coins in the air. Then his
attention was directed TO n spur OF the Coast
Range which had boon sharply silhouetted
against the cioudless western sky. Something
intensely white something so small that 1t was
scarcely larger than the silver coin in his hand
was appearing in q slight cleft Of tho range.
While he looked it gradually llllcd and oblH-
Grated the cleft. In another moment the whole
scrrated limo of mountain had disappeared.
The dense. dazzling white. cpcompassinS host
began to pour over and down every ravino and
pass Of the coast. Lance recognized the sea
fog and knew that scarcely twenty miles away
lay the occan-and safetyl The dropping sun
was now caught and hidden in its soft en-
braces. A sudden chill breathcd over the
mountain. He shivercd. rose, and plunged
again for very warmth into the spiceladcn
thicket. The hoatcd balsamic air began to
affect him like q powerful sedative his hunger
was forgotten in the languor Of fatigue; he
slumbered When he awoke it was dark. lie
groped his way through the thcket. A few stars
were shining directly above him. but beyond
and below everything was lost in the soft
white. heccy veil of fog. Whatever light or fire
might have betokencd human habitat;on was
hidden. To have pushed on bindly was mad
ness he could only wait for morning. 1t suit
ed the outcast's lazy philosophy. He crept
back again to his bed in the hollow and slept.
In that profound silence and shadow. shut out
from human association and sympathy by the
ghostly fog, what torturing visions conjurcd up
bv remorsc and fear should have pursued him?
What spirit passed before him, or slowly shaped
itself out Of the infinite backness OF the wood
None. As he slipped gently into that blackness
he remembered. with slight regret. somc bis
cults that were dropped from the coach by u
careless luncheon passenger. That
pans over, he slept as sweetly. as profoundly, as
diyineiy. US u child.