a phyllis of the sierras-第4章

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him；　and　watch　them　linger　with　suspended　gravity　in　mid　air　for　a

momentapparently　motionlessuntil　they　either　lost　themselves；　a

mere　vanishing　black　spot　in　the　thin　ether；　or　slid　suddenly　at　a

sharp　angle　into　unknown　shadow。　　How　deuced　odd　for　him　to　be

sitting　here　in　this　fashion！　　It　would　be　something　to　talk　of

hereafter；　and　yet；he　stoppedit　was　not　at　all　in　the　line　of

that　characteristic　adventure；　uncivilized　novelty；　and　barbarous

freedom　which　for　the　last　month　he　had　sought　and　experienced。　　It

was　not　at　all　like　his　meeting　with　the　grizzly　last　week　while

wandering　in　a　lonely　canyon；　not　a　bit　in　the　line　of　his　chance

acquaintance　with　that　notorious　ruffian；　Spanish　Jack；　or　his

witnessing　with　his　own　eyes　that　actual　lynching　affair　at　Angels。

No！　　Nor　was　it　at　all　characteristic；　according　to　his　previous

ideas　of　frontier　rural　seclusionas　for　instance　the　Pike　County

cabin　of　the　family　where　he　stayed　one　night；　and　where　the

handsome　daughter　asked　him　what　his　Christian　name　was。　　No！

These　two　young　women　were　very　unlike　her；　they　seemed　really

quite　the　equals　of　his　family　and　friends　in　England；perhaps

more　attractive；and　yet；　yes；　it　was　this　very　attractiveness

that　alarmed　his　inbred　social　conservatism　regarding　women。　　With

a　man　it　was　very　different；　that　alert；　active；　intelligent

husband；　instinct　with　the　throbbing　life　of　his　saw…mill；　creator

and　worker　in　one；　challenged　his　unqualified　trust　and　admiration。



He　had　become　conscious　for　the　last　minute　or　two　of　thinking

rapidly　and　becoming　feverishly　excited；　of　breathing　with　greater

difficulty；　and　a　renewed　tendency　to　cough。　　The　tendency

increased　until　he　instinctively　put　aside　the　pan　from　his　lap　and

half　rose。　　But　even　that　slight　exertion　brought　on　an　accession

of　coughing。　　He　put　his　handkerchief　to　his　lips；　partly　to　keep

the　sound　from　disturbing　the　women　in　the　kitchen；　partly　because

of　a　certain　significant　taste　in　his　mouth　which　he　unpleasantly

remembered。　　When　he　removed　the　handkerchief　it　was；　as　he

expected；　spotted　with　blood。　　He　turned　quickly　and　re…entered　the

house　softly；　regaining　the　bedroom　without　attracting　attention。

An　increasing　faintness　here　obliged　him　to　lie　down　on　the　bed

until　it　should　pass。



Everything　was　quiet。　　He　hoped　they　would　not　discover　his　absence

from　the　veranda　until　he　was　better；　it　was　deucedly　awkward　that

he　should　have　had　this　attack　just　nowand　after　he　had　made　so

light　of　his　previous　exertions。　　They　would　think　him　an

effeminate　fraud；　these　two　bright；　active　women　and　that　alert；

energetic　man。　　A　faint　color　came　into　his　cheek　at　the　idea；　and

an　uneasy　sense　that　he　had　been　in　some　way　foolishly　imprudent

about　his　health。　　Again；　they　might　be　alarmed　at　missing　him　from

the　veranda；　perhaps　he　had　better　have　remained　there；　perhaps　he

ought　to　tell　them　that　he　had　concluded　to　take　their　advice　and

lie　down。　　He　tried　to　rise；　but　the　deep　blue　chasm　before　the

window　seemed　to　be　swelling　up　to　meet　him；　the　bed　slowly　sinking

into　its　oblivious　profundity。　　He　knew　no　more。



He　came　to　with　the　smell　and　taste　of　some　powerful　volatile

spirit；　and　the　vague　vision　of　Mr。　Bradley　still　standing　at　the

window　of　the　mill　and　vibrating　with　the　machinery；　this　changed

presently　to　a　pleasant　lassitude　and　lazy　curiosity　as　he

perceived　Mr。　Bradley　smile　and　apparently　slip　from　the　window　of

the　mill　to　his　bedside。　　〃You're　all　right　now；〃　said　Bradley；

cheerfully。



He　was　feeling　Mainwaring's　pulse。　　Had　he　really　been　ill　and　was

Bradley　a　doctor？



Bradley　evidently　saw　what　was　passing　in　his　mind。　　〃Don't　be

alarmed；〃　he　said　gayly。　　〃I'm　not　a　doctor；　but　I　practise　a

little　medicine　and　surgery　on　account　of　the　men　at　the　mill；　and

accidents；　you　know。　　You're　all　right　now；　you've　lost　a　little

blood：　but　in　a　couple　of　weeks　in　this　air　we'll　have　that

tubercle　healed；　and　you'll　be　as　right　as　a　trivet。〃



〃In　a　couple　of　weeks！〃　echoed　Mainwaring；　in　faint　astonishment。

〃Why；　I　leave　here　to…morrow。〃



〃You'll　do　nothing　of　the　kind〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　with　smiling

peremptoriness；　suddenly　slipping　out　from　behind　her　husband。

〃Everything　is　all　perfectly　arranged。　　Jim　has　sent　off　messengers

to　your　friends；　so　that　if　you　can't　come　to　them；　they　can　come

to　you。　　You　see　you　can't　help　yourself！　　If　you　WILL　walk　fifteen

miles　with　such　lungs；　and　then　frighten　people　to　death；　you　must

abide　by　the　consequences。〃



〃You　see　the　old　lady　has　fixed　you；〃　said　Bradley；　smiling；　〃and

she's　the　master　here。　　Come；　Mainwaring；　you　can　send　any　other

message　you　like；　and　have　who　and　what　you　want　here；　but　HERE　you

must　stop　for　a　while。〃



〃But　did　I　frighten　you　really？〃　stammered　Mainwaring；　faintly；　to

Mrs。　Bradley。



〃Frighten　us！〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley。　　〃Well；　look　there！〃



She　pointed　to　the　window；　which　commanded　a　view　of　the　veranda。

Miss　Macy　had　dropped　into　the　vacant　chair；　with　her　little　feet

stretched　out　before　her；　her　cheeks　burning　with　heat　and　fire；

her　eyes　partly　closed；　her　straw　hat　hanging　by　a　ribbon　round　her

neck；　her　brown　hair　clinging　to　her　ears　and　forehead　in　damp

tendrils；　and　an　enormous　palm…leaf　fan　in　each　hand　violently

playing　upon　this　charming　picture　of　exhaustion　and　abandonment。



〃She　came　tearing　down　to　the　mill；　bare…backed　on　our　half…broken

mustang；　about　half　an　hour　ago；　to　call　me　'to　help　you；'〃

explained　Bradley。　　〃Heaven　knows　how　she　managed　to　do　it！〃





CHAPTER　II。





The　medication　of　the　woods　was　not　overestimated　by　Bradley。

There　was　surely　some　occult　healing　property　in　that　vast

reservoir　of　balmy　and　resinous　odors　over　which　The　Lookout

beetled　and　clung；　and　from　which　at　times　the　pure　exhalations　of

the　terraced　valley　seemed　to　rise。　　Under　its　remedial　influence

and　a　conscientious　adherence　to　the　rules　of　absolute　rest　and

repose　laid　down　for　him；　Mainwaring　had　no　return　of　the

hemorrhage。　　The　nearest　professional　medical　authority；　hastily

summoned；　saw　no　reason　for　changing　or　for　supplementing　Bradley's

intelligent　and　simple　treatment；　although　astounded　that　the

patient　had　been　under　no　more　radical　or　systematic　cure　than

travel　and　exercise。　　The　women　especially　were　amazed　that

Mainwaring　had　taken　〃nothing　for　it；〃　in　their　habitual　experience

of　an　unfettered　pill…and…elixir…consuming　democracy。　　In　their

knowledge　of　the　thousand　〃panaceas〃　that　filled　the　shelves　of　the

general　store；　this　singular　abstention　of　their　guest　seemed　to

indicate　a　national　peculiarity。



His　bed　was　moved　beside　the　low　window；　from　which　he　could　not

only　view　the　veranda　but　converse　at　times　with　its　occupants；　and

even　listen　to　the　book　which　Miss　Macy；　seated　without；　read　aloud

to　him。　　In　the　evening　Bradley　would　linger　by　his　couch　until

late；　beguiling　the　tedium　of　his　convalescence　with　characteristic

stories　and　information　which　he　thought　might　please　the　invalid。

For　Mainwaring；　who　had　been　early　struck　with　Bradley's　ready　and

cultivated　intelligence；　ended　by　shyly　avoiding　the　discussion　of

more　serious　topics；　partly　because　Bradley　impressed　him　with　a

suspicion　of　his　own　inferiority；　and　partly　because　Mainwaring

questioned　the　taste　of　Bradley's　apparent　exhibition　of　his

manifest　superiority。　　He　learned　accidentally　that　this　mill…owner

and　backwoodsman　was　a　college…bred　man；　but　the　practical

application　of　that　education　to　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life　was

new　to　the　young　Englishman's　traditions；　and　grated　a　little

harshly　on　his　feelings。　　He　would　have　been　quite　content　if

Bradley　had；　like　himself　and　fellows　he　knew；　undervalued　his

training；　and　kept　his　gifts　conservatively　impractical。　　The

knowledge　also　that　his　host's　education　naturally　came　from　some

provincial　institution　unlike　Oxford　and　Ca