Mexico Missouri message., 1914-12-03
CHAPTER I.

Eating before It's descent TO the hori'
ron. The sugRr.loaf cone that tow
cred above a creek called Misery was
pointed and edged with emerald rac'
cry where the Hottest timber thrust
up dts crest plumes into the sun. On
the hillsides II would be light for
more than an hour yet but below
where the waters tossed themselves
along In a chorus OF tiny cascades, the
fight was already thickening into a
cathedral gloom. Down there the FUR
riner" would have seen only the rough
course Of the creek between moss
velveted and shaded powders OF
titanic proportions. The native would
have recognized the country road In
these tortuous twistings. A great block
of sandstone, TO whose summit man
standing In his saddle could scarcely
reach his hngertlps. lowered above
the stream, with a gnarled scrub oak
clinging tenaclously to its apex. Loft
lily on both sides climbed the noun
tains cloaked in laurel and timber.
Suddenly the LEAKAGE was thrust
aside from above by cautious hand.
and shy, half-wild girl appeared in
the opening. For an instant she halt
cd. with her brown fingers holding
back the brushwood, and raised her
face as though listening. AS she
stood with the toes OF one bare foot
twisting in the gratefully cool moss
she laughed with the sheer exhilara-
ton OF life and youth, and started out
on the table top of the huge rock.
But there she halted suddenly with a
startled exclamation and drew instinc-
lively back. What she saw might well
have astonished her, for it was a thing
she had never seen before and OF
which she had never heard. Finally.
treasured by the silence, she slipped
across the broad face of the fiat rock
for a distance of twenty-five feet and
paused again to listen.
At the far edge lay pair of saddle
bags, such as form the only practical
equipment for mountain travellers.
Near them lay tin box, Uttered with
small and misunderstanding tubes Of
soft metal, all grotesquely twisted and
stained, and beside the box was a
strangely shaped plaque OF wood
smeared with dozen hues That this
plaque was painters sketching pal
cite was a thing which she could not
know, since the ways OF artists had
To do with a world as remote from
her own as the life OF the moon or
stars. II was one OF those vague mys-
teries that made up the wonderful life
OF down below" Why had these
things been left here in such confu-
sion? II there was a man about who
owned them he would doubtless return
20 claim them. She crept over. eyes
and ears alert, and slipped around to
the front of the queer tripod, with all
her muscles poised in readiness for
flight.
A half-rapturous and utterly aston
ished cry broke from her lips. She
stared a moment, then dropped to the
moss-eovered rock, leaning back Oh
her brown hands and gazing intently
Hits purty!" she approved, in &
low. musical murmur. Hits plumb
dead beautiful"
b OF course 1t was not a finished pic
ture-merely a study OF what lay be
fore her-but the hand that ha,
placed these brush strokes on tn,
academy board was the sure. def
hand OF master of landscape, VIII,
had caught the splendid spirit OF tn
thing and fixed ii immutably in tru
and glowing appreciation. Who b
was; where he had gone; why hi
work stood there unfinished and abar
uoned, were details which for the me
ment this half-savage child-woman fol
got to question. She was consciou
only of sense OF revelation and awe
Then she saw other boards, like tn
one upon. the easel, piled near tn
paint box. These were dry, and rel
resented the work of other days; bu
they were all pictures of her ow
mountains, and In each of them. a
In this one, was something that mad
her heart leap.
To her own people these steep hill
sides and "coves" and valleys were
matter of course In their stony so
they labored by day, and in their shal
ows slept when work was done. Y
someone had discovered that they hel
q picturesque and rugged beauty; thu
they were not merely steep FIELD
where the pillow was useless and IL
hoe must be used She must tell SaI
sOn-Samson. whom she held in a
artless exaltation Of hero WORSHIP
Samson. who was so smart" that |
thought about things beyond her u
derstanding; Samson, who could n
only read and write, but speculate {
problematical matters.
Suddenly she came to her feet Wi
a swift-darting impulse OF alarm. II
ear had caught sound. She ca
searching glances about her, but Il
tangle was empty OF humanity. II
water still murmured over the rocl
undisturbed. There was no sign
I human presence. other than herse
that her eyes could discover-and y
60 her ears came the sound again, al
ahis time mora diatinctIv ~ wac III