the man of the forest-第27节

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upset　some　of　your　theories？〃

〃Maybe。　　I'll　admit　he　amazes　me　　and　affronts　me；　too；　I'm
afraid；〃　replied　Helen。　　〃What　surprises　me　is　that　in　spite
of　his　evident　lack　of　schooling　he's　not　raw　or　crude。　　He's
elemental。〃

〃Sister　dear；　wake　up。　　The　man's　wonderful。　　You　can　learn
more　from　him　than　you　ever　learned　in　your　life。　　So　can　I。
I　always　hated　books；　anyway。〃

When；　a　little　later；　Dale　approached　carrying　some　bridles；
the　hound　Pedro　trotted　at　his　heels。

〃I　reckon　you'd　better　ride　the　horse　you　had；〃　he　said　to
Bo。

〃Whatever　you　say。　　But　I　hope　you　let　me　ride　them　all；　by
and　by。〃

〃Sure。　　I've　a　mustang　out　there　you'll　like。　　But　he　pitches
a　little；〃　he　rejoined；　and　turned　away　toward　the　park。　　The
hound　looked　after　him　and　then　at　Helen。

〃Come；　Pedro。　　Stay　with　me；〃　called　Helen。

Dale；　hearing　her；　motioned　the　hound　back。　　Obediently　Pedro
trotted　to　her；　still　shy　and　soberly　watchful；　as　if　not
sure　of　her　intentions；　but　with　something　of　friendliness
about　him　now。　　Helen　found　a　soft；　restful　seat　in　the　sun
facing　the　park；　and　there　composed　herself　for　what　she
felt　would　be　slow；　sweet；　idle　hours。　　Pedro　curled　down
beside　her。　　The　tall　form　of　Dale　stalked　across　the　park；
out　toward　the　straggling　horses。　　Again　she　saw　a　deer
grazing　among　them。　　How　erect　and　motionless　it　stood
watching　Dale！　　Presently　it　bounded　away　toward　the　edge　of
the　forest。　　Some　of　the　horses　whistled　and　ran；　kicking
heels　high　in　the　air。　　The　shrill　whistles　rang　clear　in　the
stillness。

〃Gee！　　Look　at　them　go！〃　exclaimed　Bo；　gleefully；　coming　up
to　where　Helen　sat。　　Bo　threw　herself　down　upon　the　fragrant
pine…needles　and　stretched　herself　languorously；　like　a　lazy
kitten。　　There　was　something　feline　in　her　lithe；　graceful
outline。　　She　lay　flat　and　looked　up　through　the　pines。

〃Wouldn't　it　be　great；　now；〃　she　murmured；　dreamily；　half　to
herself；　〃if　that　Las　Vegas　cowboy　would　happen　somehow　to
come；　and　then　an　earthquake　would　shut　us　up　here　in　this
Paradise　valley　so　we'd　never　get　out？〃

〃Bo！　　What　would　mother　say　to　such　talk　as　that？〃　gasped
Helen。

〃But；　Nell；　wouldn't　it　be　great？〃

〃It　would　be　terrible。〃

〃Oh；　there　never　was　any　romance　in　you；　Nell　Rayner；〃
replied　Bo。　　〃That　very　thing　has　actually　happened　out　here
in　this　wonderful　country　of　wild　places。　　You　need　not　tell
me！　　Sure　it's　happened。　　With　the　cliff…dwellers　and　the
Indians　and　then　white　people。　　Every　place　I　look　makes　me
feel　that。　　Nell；　you'd　have　to　see　people　in　the　moon
through　a　telescope　before　you'd　believe　that。〃

〃I'm　practical　and　sensible；　thank　goodness！〃

〃But；　for　the　sake　of　argument；〃　protested　Bo；　with　flashing
eyes；　〃suppose　it　MIGHT　happen。　　Just　to　please　me；　suppose
we　DID　get　shut　up　here　with　Dale　and　that　cowboy　we　saw
from　the　train。　　Shut　in　without　any　hope　of　ever　climbing
out。　。　。　。　　What　would　you　do？　　Would　you　give　up　and　pine
away　and　die？　　Or　would　you　fight　for　life　and　whatever　joy
it　might　mean？〃

〃Self…preservation　is　the　first　instinct；〃　replied　Helen；
surprised　at　a　strange；　deep　thrill　in　the　depths　of　her。
〃I'd　fight　for　life；　of　course。〃

〃Yes。　　Well；　really；　when　I　think　seriously　I　don't　want
anything　like　that　to　happen。　　But；　just　the　same；　if　it　DID
happen　I　would　glory　in　it。〃

While　they　were　talking　Dale　returned　with　the　horses。

〃Can　you　bridle　an'　saddle　your　own　horse？〃　he　asked。

〃No。　　I'm　ashamed　to　say　I　can't；〃　replied　Bo。

〃Time　to　learn　then。　　Come　on。　　Watch　me　first　when　I　saddle
mine。〃

Bo　was　all　eyes　while　Dale　slipped　off　the　bridle　from　his
horse　and　then　with　slow；　plain　action　readjusted　it。　　Next
he　smoothed　the　back　of　the　horse；　shook　out　the　blanket；
and；　folding　it　half　over；　he　threw　it　in　place；　being
careful　to　explain　to　Bo　just　the　right　position。　　He　lifted
his　saddle　in　a　certain　way　and　put　that　in　place；　and　then
he　tightened　the　cinches。

〃Now　you　try；〃　he　said。

According　to　Helen's　judgment　Bo　might　have　been　a　Western
girl　all　her　days。　　But　Dale　shook　his　head　and　made　her　do
it　over。

〃That　was　better。　　Of　course；　the　saddle　is　too　heavy　for　you
to　sling　it　up。　　You　can　learn　that　with　a　light　one。　　Now　put
the　bridle　on　again。　　Don't　be　afraid　of　your　hands。　　He　won't
bite。　　Slip　the　bit　in　sideways。　。　。　。　　There。　　Now　let's　see
you　mount。〃

When　Bo　got　into　the　saddle　Dale　continued：　〃You　went　up
quick　an'　light；　but　the　wrong　way。　　Watch　me。〃

Bo　had　to　mount　several　times　before　Dale　was　satisfied。
Then　he　told　her　to　ride　off　a　little　distance。　　When　Bo　had
gotten　out　of　earshot　Dale　said　to　Helen：　〃She'll　take　to　a
horse　like　a　duck　takes　to　water。〃　Then；　mounting；　he　rode
out　after　her。

Helen　watched　them　trotting　and　galloping　and　running　the
horses　round　the　grassy　park；　and　rather　regretted　she　had
not　gone　with　them。　　Eventually　Bo　rode　back；　to　dismount　and
fling　herself　down；　red…cheeked　and　radiant；　with　disheveled
hair；　and　curls　damp　on　her　temples。　　How　alive　she　seemed！
Helen's　senses　thrilled　with　the　grace　and　charm　and
vitality　of　this　surprising　sister；　and　she　was　aware　of　a
sheer　physical　joy　in　her　presence。　　Bo　rested；　but　she　did
not　rest　long。　　She　was　soon　off　to　play　with　Bud。　　Then　she
coaxed　the　tame　doe　to　eat　out　of　her　hand。　　She　dragged
Helen　off　for　wild　flowers；　curious　and　thoughtless　by
turns。　　And　at　length　she　fell　asleep；　quickly；　in　a　way　that
reminded　Helen　of　the　childhood　now　gone　forever。

Dale　called　them　to　dinner　about　four　o'clock；　as　the　sun
was　reddening　the　western　rampart　of　the　park。　　Helen
wondered　where　the　day　had　gone。　　The　hours　had　flown
swiftly；　serenely；　bringing　her　scarcely　a　thought　of　her
uncle　or　dread　of　her　forced　detention　there　or　possible
discovery　by　those　outlaws　supposed　to　be　hunting　for　her。
After　she　realized　the　passing　of　those　hours　she　had　an
intangible　and　indescribable　feeling　of　what　Dale　had　meant
about　dreaming　the　hours　away。　　The　nature　of　Paradise　Park
was　inimical　to　the　kind　of　thought　that　had　habitually　been
hers；　She　found　the　new　thought　absorbing；　yet　when　she
tried　to　name　it　she　found　that；　after　all；　she　had　only
felt。　　At　the　meal　hour　she　was　more　than　usually　quiet。　　She
saw　that　Dale　noticed　it　and　was　trying　to　interest　her　or
distract　her　attention。　　He　succeeded；　but　she　did　not　choose
to　let　him　see　that。　　She　strolled　away　alone　to　her　seat
under　the　pine。　　Bo　passed　her　once；　and　cried；
tantalizingly：

〃My；　Nell；　but　you're　growing　romantic！〃

Never　before　in　Helen's　life　had　the　beauty　of　the　evening
star　seemed　so　exquisite　or　the　twilight　so　moving　and
shadowy　or　the　darkness　so　charged　with　loneliness。　　It　was
their　environment　　the　accompaniment　of　wild　wolf…mourn；
of　the　murmuring　waterfall；　of　this　strange　man　of　the
forest　and　the　unfamiliar　elements　among　which　he　made　his　home。


Next　morning；　her　energy　having　returned；　Helen　shared　Bo's
lesson　in　bridling　and　saddling　her　horse；　and　in　riding。
Bo；　however；　rode　so　fast　and　so　hard　that　for　Helen　to
share　her　company　was　impossible。　　And　Dale；　interested　and
amused；　yet　anxious；　spent　most　of　his　time　with　Bo。　　It　was
thus　that　Helen　rode　all　over　the　park　alone。　　She　was
astonished　at　its　size；　when　from　almost　any　point　it　looked
so　small。　　The　atmosphere　deceived　her。　　How　clearly　she　could
see！　　And　she　began　to　judge　distance　by　the　size　of　familiar
things。　　A　horse；　looked　at　across　the　longest　length　of　the
park；　seemed　very　small　indeed。　　Here　and　there　she　rode　upon
dark；　swift；　little　brooks；　exquisitely　clear　and
amber…colored　and　almost　hidden　from　sight　by　the　long
grass。　　These　all　ran　one　way；　and　united　to　form　a　deeper
brook　that　apparently　wound　under　the　cliffs　at　the　west
end；　and　plunged　to　an　outlet　in　narrow　clefts。　　When　Dale
and　Bo　came　to　her　once　she　made　inquiry；　and　she　was
surprised　to　learn　from　Dale　that　this　brook　disappeared　in
a　hole　in　the　rocks　and　had　an　outlet　on　the　other　side　of
the　mountain。　　Sometime　he　would　take　them　to　the　lake　it
formed。

〃Over　the　mountain？〃　asked　Helen；　again　remembering　that　she
must　regard　herself　as　a　fugitive。　　〃Will　it　be　safe　to　leave
our　hiding…place？　　I　forget　so　often　why　we　are　here。〃

〃We　would　be　better　hidden　over　there　than　here；〃　replied
Dale。　　〃The　valley　on　that　side　is　accessible　only　from　that
ridge。　　An'　don't　worry　about　bein'　found。　　I　told　you　Roy
Beeman　is　watchin'　Anson　an'　his　gang。　　Roy　will　keep　between
them　an'　us。〃

Helen　was　reassured；　yet　there　must　always　linger　in　the
background　of　her　mind　a　sense　of　dread。　　In　spite　of　this；
she　determined　to　make　the　most　of　her　opportunity。　　Bo　was　a
stimulus。　　And　so　Helen　spent　the　rest　of　that　day　riding　and
tagging　after　her　sister。

The　next　day　was　less　hard　on　Helen。　　Activity；　rest；　eating；
and　sleeping　took　on　a　wonderful　new　meaning　to　her。　　She　had
really　never　known　them　as　strange　joys。　　She　rode；　she
walked；　she　climbed　a　little；　she　dozed　under　her　pine…tree；
she　worked　helping　Dale　at　camp…fire　tasks；　and　when　night
came　she　said　she　did　not　know　herself。　　That　fact　haunted
her　in　vague；　deep　dreams。