The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
LIBERTY JONES' DISCOVERY
by BRET HARTI;.


along a shelf OF the eastern slope Of the Santa
Cruz ranRe--yet the only road between the sea
and the inland valley. The hoof prints OF a
whole century Of ziGzagging mules were i'm
pressed on the soil. regularly soaked by win
ter rains and dried BY summer suns during
that period the occasional ruts OF heavy. rude.
wooden wheels-lonR obsolete were stu pre.
server and visible Weather worn houlde"s
and lodges. lying in the unclouded glare Of an
August sky. radiated duivering he at that
was iptolerable, even while above them the
masts OF gigantic pines rocked their tops In
the cold south western trades from the unseen
ocean beyond A red. burning dust lay every
whore. as II the heat wore slowly and visibly
precipitating Itself.
The creaklng Of wheels and axles, the
muffied plunge OF hoofs and the cough OF n
horse 10 the dust thus stirred. presently broke
the profound woodland silence. Then.a dirty.
white canvas covered emiErant wagon slowly
arose with the dust along the ascent. II was
travel. stained and worn. and. with its raw
boned horses. seemed to have reached the last
stage OF It's journey and fitness The only
occupa nts. a man and q girl, appeared to be
equally faded and exhausted. with the added
dueruousness OF discomfort In their salow md
badly nourshed faces. Their voices. toe.
were not unlike the creakinR they had been
etched to overcome. and there was an absence
OF reserve and consciousness in their epeech.
which told patheticaIIy OF an equal absence Of
society.
IT'S no user talkln'l tell 70. We aln't got
no more sense than coyote! I'm sick and
tired OF it-dog -goned If l ANTI Ye amt no
more use nor a hossny-and lost ez hnderin!
1t was along o. you that we lost the stock at
Laramie and OF ye'd bin at oil decent and
takin', we'd hev had kempany that helped. in
stead OF lagRn' on we're alone"
What did ye bring me for?"'retorted the
girl shrilly. Il might hev stayed with Aunt
Marty. n't.hankerin' to come"
Bring ye for?". repeated her father con-
temptuously:'I reckoned We might be o some
account here. whar wimmin folks Is skeerce.
IN the way o. helpin. and mebbe Gettin' yer
married to some likely Teller. Mighty much
chance O. that. with yer yalIer face and skin
and bones"
''Ye cant blame me for takin'. arter you.
dad" she said with a shrill laugh. but no other
resentment OF his brutality.
'Ye want somebody TO take'arter you-with
a club" he retoIted angrily. "Ye hear! Wots
that yere dom now"
She had risen.and walked to he-tal Of the
wagon. Coin to get out:and walk. I'm tired
O. bein' Jawed at"
She jumped into the road. The act was
either indignant nor venReful. The fire.
quency OF such scenes had blunted their sting;
she was probably tired OF the quarrel'and ended
1t rudely. Her father. however. lot fly Par
THAN arrow.
I'VE needn't think I'm Ron' to wait for 20
as hev. Ye've got to keep.tstch.with the team
or get left. And a good rlddance Of bad rub
bidRs"
In reply tho girl Owed into the underwood
beside the trail. picked a wild berry or two.
stripped wand Of young hazel she had broken
off. and switching it at her side, skipped along
on the outskirts Of the wood and am led after
the wagon. Seen in the full merciless glare Of
q California sky she justified her fathers de-
scription-thln and bony. her lank frame out
stripped the body Of her ragged calico dress.
which was only kept on her shoulders by straps
possibly her fathers cast off braces. A boys
soft felt hat covered her head and shadowed
her only notable feature. n pair OF large dark
overlooking larger for the hollow temples
which.narrowed the:frame In which they were
set
So long as the wagon crawed up the ascent
the girl knew she could easily keep'up.with It.
or even 'distance the tired horses. She made
one:or two incursions into the wood. returning
like an animal from quest OF food. with some
thing in her mouth. which she was tentatively
che wing and once only with some inedible
madrono berries plucked solely for their bril-
liant coloring. 1t was very hot and sinGularly
close; the higher current Of air ht!S subsidized
and. looking up.a singular haze seemed to have
taken It's place between the tree tops. Sudden
ly she heard a strange rumbllng sound an odd
Riddiness overlook her. and she was Obliged to
clutch at a sapling to support herself: she
laughed unconstitutional little frightened.
and looked vaguely toward the summit OF the
rond. but the wagon had already disapI cared,
A strange feeling OF nausea then overcame her.
she spat out the leaves she had been che wing.
disgustely But the sensation as quickly
PASSED. and she once more sought tho trail and
began slowly TO follow the tracks OF the wa
Ron. The air blew freshly. the tree tops began
sgain to rock over her head. and the incident
was forgotten.
Presently she paused she must have missed
the trail. for the wagon tracks had ended
abruptly before large boulder that lay across
the mountain trail. She dipped into the woods
again: here there were other wagon tracks
that confused her. it was like her logged
stupid father to miss.the trail She felt
CLEAN OF malicious satisfaction at his dscom-
future. Sooner or later he would have to re-
trace his steps and virtually come back 20 her .
She took IN position where two rough wheel
ruts and tracks intersected each Other one OF
which must be the missing trail. She noticed
too. the broader footprints Of cattle without
the following wheel ruts, and instead Of traces.
tho long smooth trails made.by the dragging
OF logs. and knew by these tokens that she
must be near the highway or some woodlands
hut or ranch. She began to he thirsty. and
was glad. presentlr, when her quick rustic ear
caught the linking OF water. Yet 1t was not
so easy to discover. and she was getting foot
sore and tired again before she found it, some
distance.away. In q gully coming from assure
in dislocated piere Of outcrop. 1t was beau
tiiully clear. cold and sparkling. with slight
~ sweetsh taste. yet unlike the brackish al.
kali OF the plains 1t refreshed and soothcd
her greatly. SO much 90 that. reclining against
tree. but where she would lie quite visible
from the trail. her ewes closed dreamily. and
presently she slept.
When she awoke the shafts OF sunlight were
striking almost:levcl into her eyes. She must
have slept two hours her father had not re-
turned: she knew the passage of:the wagon
would have awakened her She began TO feel
strange. but not yet alarmed it was only the
uncertainty that made her unsasy Had her
father really gone on by some other trail? Or
had he really hurried on and loft her as he