The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-22
LOVE IN THE DIVIDE.
A Tale of Western Pioneering and
Quick Romance.
BY Bret Hnrte.

With the lulling OF tho wind toward evening
IL came on to snow-heavily. in straight, quickly
succeeding flakes, dropping like white lanccs
from the sky. This vas followed by the usual
Sierran phenomenon. Tho deep gorge. which,
as the sun went down, had lapsed into dark.
ness, presently began to roappear; at first the
vanished trail came back as a wildly whitening
streak In the night; then the larches and pines
that assembled from IL like battresBes against
the hillsides glimmored In ghostly distinctness,
until at last the two slopes curved out of the
.--aness as II hewn in marble. For the sudden
storm, which extended scarcely two miles, had
loft no trace upon the steep granite face of the
high cliffs above. tho snow slipping silently
from them left them still hidden in the obscur-
iy of night. In tho vanished landscape the
gorge alone stood out. set in q chaos of cloud
and storm through which the moonbeams
struggled Intellectually.
II was this unexpected sight wbichrburst upon
the occupants Of II largo covered station
wagon" who had Glanced upon the lower end
of the gorge. Coming from n still lower altitude
they had known nothing OF the storm which
had momentarily ceased. but had left q record
of intensity in nearly two feet of snow. For
some moments the horses foundered and
struggled on. in what tho travellers believed to
be some old forgotten drift or avalanche. until
tho extent ard freshness of the fall became ap-
parent. To add to their difficulties the storm
rocommepced and not comprehending its real
character and limit they did not dare to attempt
to return the way they came. To go on. how
ever. was impossible. In this quandary they
looked about them in vain for some other exit
from the gorge. The sides Of that gigantic white
furrow terminated in darkness. Hemmed in
from the world in all directions, it might have
been their tomb.
But although they could see nothing beyond
their prison walls. they themselves were per-
factly visible from the heights above them.
And Jack TcnbrooL. quartz miner. who was
sinking n tunnel in the rocky ledge OF shelf
above the gorge. stepping out from his cabin Mt
10 O'clock to take u look at the weather before
turning in. could observe distinctly the outline
OF the black wagon, the laundering horses. and
the crouching figures by their side. scarcely
larger than pigmics on the white surface of
snow n thousand feet below him. Jack had
courage and strength and the good humor
that accompanies them. but lie contented
himself for a few moments with lazily
observing the travellers discontinue. He
had taken in the situation with a glance: he
would have helped n brother miner or noun
taineer, although ne knew that it could only
have been drink or bravado that brought him
into the gorge in u snow storm. but 1t was very
evident that these were "Greenhorns." or East
ern tourists, and il served their stupidity and
arrogance right! He remembered also how he
having once helped an Eastern visitor catch the
mustang that had "bucked" him. had been
called my man. and presented with So: he
recalled how he had once spread the humble
resources of his cabin before some s~traying
members of the San Francisco party who were
opening" the new railroad, and heard the
audible wonder of a lady that a civilized being
could live SO "coarsely!" With these recollec-
tons in his mind he managed to survey the dis
tant struggling horses with a fine sense of HUI
NOR, not unmixed with self-righteousness.
There was no real danger in the situation; it
meant at the worst a delay and camping in the
snow till morning. when he would go down to
their assistance. They had a spacious travelling
equipage, and were. no doubt. we'll supplied
with furs. robes, and provisions for a several
hours journey: his own pork barrel was quite
empty and his blankets worn. He half smiled,
extending his long arms in q decided yawn. and
turned back into his cabin to go to bed. Then
he cast q final glance around the interior.
Everything WAS all right; his loaded rife stood
against the wall: he had just raked ashes over
the emhers of his fire to keep it intact till morn
ing. Only one thing slightly troubled him: a
grizzly bear, two-thirds grown. but only half
tanned. which had been given to him by n young
lady named "Miggles.' when that charming
and historic girl had decided to IN
her ~paralytic lover to the San Francisco hos
pital. was missing that evening. 1t had
been Its regular habit to come to the door every
night for some sweet biscuit or sugar before go
ing to its lair in the underbrush behind the
cabin. Everybody knew it along the length and
breadth of Hemlock Ridge, as w ell as the fact
of its being a legacy of the fair exile. No rifle
had ever yet been raised against his lazy bulk.
or the stupid. small-eyed head. and ruff OF cir
cling hairs made more erect By its well-worn
leather collar. Consoling himself with the
thought that the storm had probably delayed
it's return. Jack took off his Goa: and threw ton
his bunk. But from thinning of the storm his
thoughts naturally returned again to tho i'm
peded travellers below him. and he half me-
Chemically stepped out again In his shirt sleeves
for a final look at them.
But here something occurred that changed
his resolution entirely. He had previously no.
ticed only the three foreshortened. crawling
figures around the now stationary wagon bulk.
They were now apparently making arrange
ments to camp for the night. But another fig
ure had been added to the group. and as it
stood perched upon IA wagon seat laid on the
snow Jack could see its outline was not bifur-
Gated like the Others. But even that general
suggestion was not needed: the little head. the
symmetrical curves visible oven at that dis
tance were quite enough to indicate that it was
q woman! The easy smile faded from jacks
face. and was succeeded by a look OF concern
and then Of resignation. lie had no choice
now; he must go! There was a wornan there,
and that settled it. Yet he had arrived at this
conclusion from no sense of Rallnutry. nor. in
deed, Of chivalrous transport, but as "a matter of
simple duty to the sex. lie Was giving up HIS
sleep, was goinS down n thousand feet of steep
trail to offer his services during the rest Of the
night rs simply as an Eastern man would have
offered his seat In an omnibus TO n woman.
Having resumed his coat. with II bottle of
whiskey thrust into his pocket, he put on a pair
of India rubber boots reaching to his thighs,
and. catching the blanket from his bunk. start
cd with an axe and shovel oil his shoulder on
his downward journey. When the distance was
half completed he:shouted To the travellers he
low; the cry was joyolsly answered by this
three men: he saw the fourth figure, now
Enthusiastically that Of "A slender. youthful
woman, In u CLOAK. helped back into the wagon.
rs II dcliverance was now sure and Immediate.
But Jack on arriving speedily dissipated that
Elusive hope; they could only get through the
gorge by taking on the wheels of the wagon.
placing the axle on rude sledGe runners OF split
eaplings, which, with their assistance. he would
fashion In a couple of hours at his cabin and
hiring down to, the gorge. The only other
alternative would be Tor them to come to his
%sistance TO the nearest station. but that would