Omaha daily bee., 1895-08-11

to the chimney. more than once fell into
that stolld abstraction which was supposed
to be the contemplation OF his absent wife
From this silence, which became infectious.
the three guests were suddenly aroused by
furious Gathering down the steep descent Of
the mountan-along the trail they had Just
ridden! 1t came near, increasing in sound,
until 1t even seemed to scatter the fine
gravel of the river bed against the sides of
the house, and then passed in gust OF wind
that shook the roof and scared in the chim-
ney. With one common impulse the three
travellers arose and went to the door. They
opened 1t to a biackness that seemed to stand
| as another and iron door before them.
But to nothing elset
Somebody went by then" said Uncles
Dick, turning to Collinson. Didn't you hear
it?" ..-..s
Mary" said Colinson, patiently, without
| moving from the chimney.
What in Gods name was 1t, them"
"Only some of them boulders you loosed
| coming down. It's teuch and go with them
for days after. When / first came here
| used to start up and rush into the road
like as you would-yellln' and screechin' after
folks that never was there and never went BY.
| Then 1T got kinder monotonous, and I'd lie
still and let 'em slide. Why, one night I'd
| a sworn that some one pulled up with yell
and shook the door But l sort Of allowed
to myself that whatever it was II wasn't
wantin' to eat. drink. sleep, or 1t would come
| in-and l hadn't amy call to interfere. And
| in the mornin' found rock as big as that
box lying chock block agin the door. Then
l knowed l was right"
Preble Key remained looking from the door.
"Theres a glow in the sky over Big can
yon," he said. with a meaning glance at
Uncle Dick.
Saw it an hour ago." said Collnson 'It
must be the woods afre just around the bend
| above the canyon. Whoever goes to Skinners
had better give il a wide BERTH
Kcv arJ 20
but apparently changed his mind, and pres
emily Joined his companions, who were al
ready rolling themselves In their blankets,
in series of wooden bunks or berths. ranged
as In a ships cabin around the walls of a
resinous, sawdusty apartment that had been
the measuring room Of the MILL Collinson
disappeared-no one knew or seemed to care
where-and in less than ten minutes from
the time they had returned from the door
the hush of rest and sleep semmed to pos
sess the whole house. There was no light
but that of the fire in the front rOom which
threw fickering and gigantic shadows on
the walls of the three empty chairs
before it, An hour later it seemed as il
one Of the chairs was occupied, and a gro
tesque figure of Collins slumberlng-or med
itating-faco and figure was projected grimly
on the rafters, as though it were the hover
Ing guardian spirit Of the house. But even
that passed presently and faded out. and the
beleaguering darkness that had encompassad
the house all the evening began to slowly
creep in thu ough every chink and Granny OF
the rambling il-iointed structure, until it
at last obliterated even the faint embers on
the hearth The cool fragrance Of the wood
land depths crept In with 1t until the steep
OF human warmth. the reek of human cloth
ing, and the lingering odors OF stale human
victual were swept away in that incorruptible
and omnipotent breath. An hour later-and
the wilderness had repossessed itself of all.
Key, the iightest sleeper awoke early, so
early tnat the dawn announced itself only in
two dim squares of light that seemed to grow
| out of the darkness at the end of the room
where the windows looked out upon the val
ley. This reminded him of his woodland
vision of the night before, al. he lay and
watched them until they frightened and
began to outline the figures of his still
| sleeping companions. But there were faint
STRINGS elsewhere-the soft brushing of a
| squirrel across the shingled roof, the tiny
| hutter Of invisible wings In the rafters, the
| peep" and squeak" of baby life below the
| floor And then he fell into a deeper sleep
| and awoke only when it Was broad day
The sun was shining upon the empty hunks;
| his companions were already up and gone.
They had separated as they had come together
with the light-hearted responsibility Of an
| imals-without regret, and scarcely reminis-
| cence; bearing with cheerful philosophy and
| the hopefulness of a future nfettered by their
| past the final disappointment OF their quest
| IL they ever met again they would laugh and
| remember; IL they did mot they would forget
! without sign. lie nTrledly dressed hlmSelf
| and went outsider to dip his face and hands
| in the bucket that stood beside the door; but
| the clear air, the dazzling sunshine, and the
unexpected prospect half intoxicated him.
The abandoned mDh stretched beside him
| in all the pathos of It's premature decay The
ribs of the water-wheel appeared amid
| tangle OF shrubs and driftwood. AMI were
! twined with long grasses and struggling
| vines; mounds OF rsagdust and heaps of
| brush" had taken upoq themselves a velvety
moss where the trickling slime OF the van
| ished river lost itself, In sluggish pools. dis
| colored with the dykes OF redwood. But on
! the other side of the rocky ledge dropped the
whole length of the valley, alternately bath4d
! in sunshine or hidden in drifts n white and
| clnging smoke. The upper end of the long
| canyon, and the crests Of the ridge above lin
were lost in the feecy cloud. which at times
! seemed to overflow the SUBMITS and fall in
| slow leaps, like lazy cataracts down the noun
! tain side. Only the range before the ledge
was clear; there the green pines seemed 10
| swell onward and upward in long mounting
! billows. until at last they broke agains. the
sky.
! In the keen stimulus OF the hour and The
| air Key felt the mountaineer's longing for
/ action. and scarcely noticed that Colllnson
had pathetcally brought out his pork barrel
to scrape together few remnants for h $.
! last meal. II was not until he had finished
his coffee and Collin:0n had brought up his
horse that a slight sense cf shame at his oya
| and his comrades sclhshness embar 70 ls.d mis-
| parting with his patient host. He himself
was going to SINNERS to plead for him; he
knew that Parker had left the draft-ke
had seen II lying in tie blr. bat a new sense
| OF delicacy kept him from alluding TO il now.
| II was better to leave him with his own De-