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new　pack　of　cards。　　These　are　about　played　out。　　We'll　be　wanting

some　brushwood　for　the　fire；　there's　a　heap　in　the　hollow。　　Who's

going　to　bring　it　in？　　It's　the　Judge's　turn；　isn't　it？　　Why；

what's　the　matter　with　you　all？〃



The　restraint　and　evident　uneasiness　of　his　companions　had　at　last

touched　him。　　He　turned　his　frank　young　eyes　upon　them；　they

glanced　helplessly　at　each　other。　　Yet　his　first　concern　was　for

them；　his　first　instinct　paternal　and　protecting。　　He　ran　his　eyes

quickly　over　them；　they　were　all　there　and　apparently　in　their

usual　condition。　　〃Anything　wrong　with　the　claim？〃　he　suggested。



Without　looking　at　him　the　Right　Bower　rose；　leaned　against　the

open　door　with　his　hands　behind　him　and　his　face　towards　the

landscape；　and　said；　apparently　to　the　distant　prospect：　〃The

claim's　played　out；　the　partnership's　played　out；　and　the　sooner　we

skedaddle　out　of　this　the　better。　　If；〃　he　added；　turning　to　the

Old　Man；　〃if　YOU　want　to　stay；　if　you　want　to　do　Chinaman's　work　at

Chinaman's　wages；　if　you　want　to　hang　on　to　the　charity　of　the

traders　at　the　Crossing；　you　can　do　it；　and　enjoy　the　prospects　and

the　Noah's　doves　alone。　　But　we're　calculatin'　to　step　out　of　it。〃



〃But　I　haven't　said　I　wanted　to　do　it　ALONE；〃　protested　the　Old　Man

with　a　gesture　of　bewilderment。



〃If　these　are　your　general　ideas　of　the　partnership；〃　continued　the

Right　Bower；　clinging　to　the　established　hypothesis　of　the　other

partners　for　support；　〃it　ain't　ours；　and　the　only　way　we　can　prove

it　is　to　stop　the　foolishness　right　here。　　We　calculated　to

dissolve　the　partnership　and　strike　out　for　ourselves　elsewhere。

You're　no　longer　responsible　for　us；　nor　we　for　you。　　And　we　reckon

it's　the　square　thing　to　leave　you　the　claim　and　the　cabin；　and　all

it　contains。　　To　prevent　any　trouble　with　the　traders；　we've　drawn

up　a　paper　here〃



〃With　a　bonus　of　fifty　thousand　dollars　each　down；　and　the　rest　to

be　settled　on　my　children；〃　interrupted　the　Old　Man；　with　a　half…

uneasy　laugh。　　〃Of　course。　　But〃　he　stopped　suddenly；　the　blood

dropped　from　his　fresh　cheek；　and　he　again　glanced　quickly　round

the　group。　　〃I　don't　thinkII　quite　sabe；　boys；〃　he　added；　with

a　slight　tremor　of　voice　and　lip。　　〃If　it's　a　conundrum；　ask　me　an

easier　one。〃



Any　lingering　doubt　he　might　have　had　of　their　meaning　was

dispelled　by　the　Judge。　　〃It's　about　the　softest　thing　you　kin　drop

into；　Old　Man；〃　he　said　confidentially；　〃if　I　hadn't　promised　the

other　boys　to　go　with　them；　and　if　I　didn't　need　the　best　medical

advice　in　Sacramento　for　my　lungs；　I'd　just　enjoy　staying　with

you。〃



〃It　gives　a　sorter　freedom　to　a　young　fellow　like　you；　Old　Man；

like　goin'　into　the　world　on　your　own　capital；　that　every

Californian　boy　hasn't　got；〃　said　Union　Mills；　patronizingly。



〃Of　course　it's　rather　hard　papers　on　us；　you　know；　givin'　up

everything；　so　to　speak；　but　it's　for　your　good；　and　we　ain't　goin'

back　on　you；〃　said　the　Left　Bower；　〃are　we；　boys？〃



The　color　had　returned　to　the　Old　Man's　face　a　little　more　quickly

and　freely　than　usual。　　He　picked　up　the　hat　he　had　cast　down；　put

it　on　carefully　over　his　brown　curls；　drew　the　flap　down　on　the

side　towards　his　companions；　and　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets。

〃All　right；〃　he　said；　in　a　slightly　altered　voice。　　〃When　do　you

go？〃



〃To…day；〃　answered　the　Left　Bower。　　〃We　calculate　to　take　a

moonlight　pasear　over　to　the　Cross　Roads　and　meet　the　down　stage　at

about　twelve　to…night。　　There's　plenty　of　time　yet；〃　he　added；　with

a　slight　laugh；　〃it's　only　three　o'clock　now。〃



There　was　a　dead　silence。　　Even　the　rain　withheld　its　continuous

patter；　a　dumb；　gray　film　covered　the　ashes　of　the　hushed　hearth。

For　the　first　time　the　Right　Bower　exhibited　some　slight

embarrassment。



〃I　reckon　it's　held　up　for　a　spell；〃　he　said；　ostentatiously

examining　the　weather；　〃and　we　might　as　well　take　a　run　round　the

claim　to　see　if　we've　forgotten　nothing。　　Of　course；　we'll　be　back

again；〃　he　added　hastily；　without　looking　at　the　Old　Man；　〃before

we　go；　you　know。〃



The　others　began　to　look　for　their　hats；　but　so　awkwardly　and　with

such　evident　preoccupation　of　mind　that　it　was　not　at　first

discovered　that　the　Judge　had　his　already　on。　　This　raised　a　laugh；

as　did　also　a　clumsy　stumble　of　Union　Mills　against　the　pork

barrel；　although　that　gentleman　took　refuge　from　his　confusion　and

secured　a　decent　retreat　by　a　gross　exaggeration　of　his　lameness；

as　he　limped　after　the　Right　Bower。　　The　Judge　whistled　feebly。

The　Left　Bower；　in　a　more　ambitious　effort　to　impart　a　certain

gayety　to　his　exit；　stopped　on　the　threshold　and　said；　as　if　in

arch　confidence　to　his　companions；　〃Darned　if　the　Old　Man　don't

look　two　inches　higher　since　he　became　a　proprietor；〃　laughed

patronizingly；　and　vanished。



If　the　newly…made　proprietor　had　increased　in　stature；　he　had　not

otherwise　changed　his　demeanor。　　He　remained　in　the　same　attitude

until　the　last　figure　disappeared　behind　the　fringe　of　buckeye　that

hid　the　distant　highway。　　Then　he　walked　slowly　to　the　fire…place；

and；　leaning　against　the　chimney；　kicked　the　dying　embers　together

with　his　foot。　　Something　dropped　and　spattered　in　the　film　of　hot

ashes。　　Surely　the　rain　had　not　yet　ceased！



His　high　color　had　already　fled　except　for　a　spot　on　either　cheek…

bone　that　lent　a　brightness　to　his　eyes。　　He　glanced　around　the

cabin。　　It　looked　familiar　and　yet　strange。　　Rather；　it　looked

strange　BECAUSE　still　familiar；　and　therefore　incongruous　with　the

new　atmosphere　that　surrounded　itdiscordant　with　the　echo　of

their　last　meeting；　and　painfully　accenting　the　change。　　There　were

the　four　〃bunks；〃　or　sleeping　berths；　of　his　companions；　each　still

bearing　some　traces　of　the　individuality　of　its　late　occupant　with

a　dumb　loyalty　that　seemed　to　make　their　light…hearted　defection

monstrous。　　In　the　dead　ashes　of　the　Judge's　pipe；　scattered　on　his

shelf；　still　lived　his　old　fire；　in　the　whittled　and　carved　edges

of　the　Left　Bower's　bunk　still　were　the　memories　of　bygone　days　of

delicious　indolence；　in　the　bullet…holes　clustered　round　a　knot　of

one　of　the　beams　there　was　still　the　record　of　the　Right　Bower's

old…time　skill　and　practice；　in　the　few　engravings　of　female

loveliness　stuck　upon　each　headboard　there　were　the　proofs　of　their

old　extravagant　devotionall　a　mute　protest　to　the　change。



He　remembered　how；　a　fatherless；　truant　schoolboy；　he　had　drifted

into　their　adventurous；　nomadic　life；　itself　a　life　of　grown…up

truancy　like　his　own；　and　became　one　of　that　gypsy　family。　　How

they　had　taken　the　place　of　relations　and　household　in　his　boyish

fancy；　filling　it　with　the　unsubstantial　pageantry　of　a　child's

play　at　grown…up　existence；　he　knew　only　too　well。　　But　how；　from

being　a　pet　and　protege；　he　had　gradually　and　unconsciously

asserted　his　own　individuality　and　taken　upon　his　younger　shoulders

not　only　a　poet's　keen　appreciation　of　that　life；　but　its　actual

responsibilities　and　half…childish　burdens；　he　never　suspected。　　He

had　fondly　believed　that　he　was　a　neophyte　in　their　ways；　a　novice

in　their　charming　faith　and　indolent　creed；　and　they　had　encouraged

it；　now　their　renunciation　of　that　faith　could　only　be　an　excuse

for　a　renunciation　of　HIM。　　The　poetry　that　had　for　two　years

invested　the　material　and　sometimes　even　mean　details　of　their

existence　was　too　much　a　part　of　himself　to　be　lightly　dispelled。

The　lesson　of　those　ingenuous　moralists　failed；　as　such　lessons　are

apt　to　fail；　their　discipline　provoked　but　did　not　subdue；　a　rising

indignation；　stirred　by　a　sense　of　injury；　mounted　to　his　cheek　and

eyes。　　It　was　slow　to　come；　but　was　none　the　less　violent　that　it

had　been　preceded　by　the　benumbing　shock　of　shame　and　pride。



I　hope　I　shall　not　prejudice　the　reader's　sympathies　if　my　duty　as

a　simple　chronicler　compels　me　to　state；　therefore；　that　the　sober

second　thought　of　this　gentle　poet　was　to　burn　down　the　cabin　on

the　spot　with　all　its　contents。　　This　yielded　to　a　milder　counsel

waiting　for　the　return　of　the　party；　challenging　the　Right　Bower；　a

duel　to　the　death；　perhaps　himself　the　victim；　with　a　crushing

explanation　in　extremis；　〃It　seems　we　are　ONE　too　many。　　No　matter；

it　is　settled　now。　　Farewell！〃　　Dimly　remembering；　however；　that

there　was　something　of　this　in　the　last　well…worn　novel　they　had

read　together；　and　that　his　antagonist　might　recognize　it；　or　even

worse；　anticipate　it　himself；　the　idea　was　quickly　rejected。

Besides；　the　opportunity　for　an　apotheosis　of　self…sacrifice　was

past。　　Nothing　remained　now　but　to　refuse　the　proffered　bribe　of

claim　and　cabin　by　letter；　for　he　must　not　wait　their　return。　　He

tore　a　leaf　from　a　blotted　diary；　begun　and　abandoned　long　since；

and　essayed　to　write。　　Scrawl　after　scrawl　was　torn　up；　until　his

fury　had　cooled　down　to　a　frigid　third　personality。　　〃Mr。　John　Ford

regrets　to　inform　his　late　partners　tha