New-York tribune., 1905-02-13

He was plainly new to Gods country. and showed
il by his artless contempt OF Gods Own Bob liam
MIL the driver of the Las Vegas stage condescend-
ed a little his only passenger-orfered him a NIP,
together with a few reflections the universe
and went out Of his way to say some nice things
about over thar" But the straight backed. yellow
moustached soIdierly looking gentleman from over
thar" received these advances with inartculaSe
rnurnurs of repression and. their being repeat
ed turned away the light of his cOuntenaEce from
Robert HammiI and engrossed himself in the seen
cry OF California. This was pity, not only Tor its
tacit denial OF the brotherhood of but because
it later on involved the descent Of the straight
backed gentleman into what might be called space
together with dressing case. dispatch box. nat
box. portmanteau. gun case portable bath ana
roll Of steamer rugs. The stage dropped him at the
dusty crossroads disappearing in the direction OF
what a rusty notice said was WatsonvlHe. while
the erstwhile passenger gazed bankly at another
on which was the half-obliterated inscription: III
Nido Ranch,
little un6ending on the part of the gentleman
from "over thar would have resulted in Boos tax
ing a detour and disembarking him all complete at
his destination and this for no other toll than
grasp Of the hand at parting and a hearty You re
welcome he whipped up his four horses But
Captain Anstruther unused TO a scheme OF
things where a ready fellowship counted for more
than money All his life people had automatically
risen to carry his luggage, move him IN the proper
direction and generally for his comfort and
well-being. To find himself dusty road in the
heart Of wild and lonely country. an orphan trav-
eer, so to speak. with nobody to take care of him
but himself-was it any wonder that Captain Claude
George Pennifeild Anstruther looked somewhat de-
pressed. that the tails of his puggaree dropped
Imply in the ambient air of the Golden state?
OF course. he had q puggaree and strange, enor-
nous shoes, with hobnails in them. and wonderful
checked knickerbocker costume. involving a weird
variety Of gaiter that stopped halfway up his calf.
He less singular inside than out, and next
his skin was a leather money belt and he was
wound round and round with flannel to keep him
from having cholera, and concealed about his per-
son a silver drinking cup that cost eight
guineas at Silvers. and compact little filter that
weighed only a pound. and extraordinary knife
of extraordinary size. which had folding spoon in
| it and gimlet and a and sailors needle.
He had been QUILTED in London at expense Of
a hundred pounds sterling. and that why he
clanked as he walked. and dug things into him when
| he sat down. Why California should require such
| terrific preparations il is for the narrator 10
say. Perhaps it is because the narrator does not
| know Does anybody know, indeed why the Briton
| abroad should often guise likely to
| tempt the lightning from its path and interfere
| with the stars In their courses?
| Captain Claude George Pennifeild Anstruther re-
| garded his dressing case. dispatch box hat box
| portmanteau. gun case portable bath and roll or
steamer rugs with a dawning sense that British
solidity and dead weight might be carried too far
| He was even more of this opinion by the time he
had conveyed these articles to the shelter Of some
! adjacent chapparal and had Topped on with the
help of the knife with the folding spoon the gimlet
saw and sailors needle) enough dusty branches TO
| hide them from the gaze of possible passers-by.
| This accomplished. he set of in no very rosy
| frame of mind to follow the road TO FL NidO
| Ranch He did not step out with the air OF a man
| assured Of a BATH a Scotch-and-soda and a hos
pitable welcome. On the contrary, he wore the set
expression OF one charged with a very disagreeable
| duty, and his mind. instead Of dwelling on the
beautiful and romantic scenery, was weighted ike
| lead besides with the memory Of a dressing-case,
dispatch box. hat box. portmanteau. gun case.
| portable bath and roll Of steamer rugs. left un-
| checked in the cloak Of high heaven How
| ever he advanced manfully. swinging a very thick
| stick and printing the mountain road with hob
nailed pattern that puzzled the school children Tor
days afterward A mile-two mtles-and then ne
| came in sight of some straggly red buildings a
| hill The Captain pegged away; the red buildings
grew redder and larger; one of them, almost fac
tory for size curtly informing him IN letters ten
| feet high that it winery
| The stranger breathed a sigh Of relief lie Kne"
| now that he had arrived at his destina-
| ton He struck of a little TO the righI'
| where good sized private house. surround
| cd bv a paling fence. obviously sheltered the
| owner or foreman of the ranch The privacy OF
| this Mace was protected by board which SAID
| sUocinctly: Keep Out but the Englishman, un-
| deferred by the warning, kept on and strode Up
| the gravel walk to the rose embowered porch ne
| vond He was a little daunted. however. by the
| nrevafilc silence He would have welcomed the
| bark of a dog. or some grun voice demanding what
| he wanted To walk into such a tomblike quiet
! made him uncomfortable He saw himseH IN
Imagination possibly misjudged; beset. maybe, and
his hand frightened his stick and he set his feet
down more loudly than ever to assert the upright
ness of his intentions He tramped UP the three
stems leading 10 the porch like mule battery go
| ing INTO action But the stiffness remained un-
| broken, save by any noise but his own own -. ,+ in
He looked about in perpeXlJy uLtu az IdSS, III
the darkest and furthest he detected ham
| mock: and saw. not without relief. that II was as
occupied by recumoent hgure; Re Ven d oS Ioa.e9
| down on-weil. what in his own words ne useu 70
| describe afterward as: '"Pon my soul the most
| upon-Gad a girl of twenty, with her lips a LttIe
| breath coming and going as faint as oaoys IN a
cot; and beauty? Why, It was IKE seelnE Lhe Ia
MahaI by mOonlight-the same & Wl a.
| d'ye callum. you know, when something seems 10
| take you by the throat and you gasp. my ooy
dressed ms in sysTY gFagy her Win he TldH fpsd IaSi
collar ABOUT her necAr anu - sirPIe red carnation
| She was fresh and sweet and exquisite as me
! without the sight of her was refreshing as q
| Smashing pool in the depths Of a woody canyon
| began 70 wonder what steps he ought 10 take to
awaken her. Every instinct as gentleman GSGT aT
| 70 an honest. growing buIldoggish cough that
| seemed 10 say: Wake up, confound you
| Al last sha stirred and opened ner eyes and met
those Of the stranger looking down at her HE said
| agitation 10 s1ili a box of sweets and a half
| opened novel from the chair beside him The slTl
astonishment. and asked him who he was and
lead sir in a voice like a Cashmiri lute on the
Lake Of Selangor borne over Ine %e'eL G al r I4sS
| where the RaioUt princes held nigh reVeI IN the
INV name is Anstruther he said. picking ehoco
| late creams Of the floor 'CaPtain Ansiruther or
| the lOOth Dragon GuardS-brltlsh Army you
She smiled at him without saying word
! You are l presume. Miss Helen Janrey9 he
Sbe Showed the least little sign of enbarrass
| rf-rea