the woman in the alcove-第14节

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osite　hillsides。

Simultaneously　I　heard　voices；　and　saw　approaching　a　bronzed　and　bearded　man　with　strongly…marked　Scotch　features　and　a　determined　air。

〃The　doctor！〃　I　involuntarily　exclaimed；　with　a　glance　at　the　small　and　curious　tent　before　which　he　stood　guard。

〃Yes；　the　doctor；〃　he　answered　in　unexpectedly　good　English。　〃And　who　are　you？　Have　you　brought　the　mail　and　those　medicines　I　sent　for？〃

〃No；〃　I　replied　with　as　propitiatory　a　smile　as　I　could　muster　up　in　face　of　his　brusk　forbidding　expression。　〃I　came　on　my　own　errand。　I　am　a　representative　of　the　New　York；and　I　hope　you　will　not　deny　me　a　word　with　Mr。　Fairbrother。〃

With　a　gesture　I　hardly　knew　how　to　interpret　he　took　my　horse　by　the　rein　and　led　us　on　a　few　steps　toward　another　large　tent；　where　he　motioned　me　to　descend。　Then　he　laid　his　hand　on　my　shoulder　and；　forcing　me　to　meet　his　eye；　said：

〃You　have　made　this　journeyI　believe　you　said　from　New　Yorkto　see　Mr。　Fairbrother。　Why？〃

〃Because　Mr。　Fairbrother　is　at　present　the　most　sought…for　man　in　America；〃　I　returned　boldly。　〃His　wifeyou　know　about　his　wife　〃

〃No。　How　should　I　know　about　his　wife？　I　know　what　his　temperature　is　and　what　his　respiration　isbut　his　wife？　What　about　his　wife？　He　don't　know　anything　about　her　now　himself；　he　is　not　allowed　to　read　letters。〃

〃But　you　read　the　papers。　You　must　have　known；　before　you　left　Santa　Fe；　of　Mrs。　Fairbrother's　foul　and　most　mysterious　murder　in　New　York。　It　has　been　the　theme　of　two　continents　for　the　last　ten　days。〃

He　shrugged　his　shoulders；　which　might　mean　anything；　and　confined　his　reply　to　a　repetition　of　my　own　words。

〃Mrs。　Fairbrother　murdered！〃　he　exclaimed；　but　in　a　suppressed　voice；　to　which　point　was　given　by　the　cautious　look　he　cast　behind　him　at　the　tent　which　had　drawn　my　attention。　〃He　must　not　know　it；　man。　I　could　not　answer　for　his　life　if　he　received　the　least　shock　in　his　present　critical　condition。　Murdered？　When？〃

〃Ten　days　ago；　at　a　ball　in　New　York。　It　was　after　Mr。　Fairbrother　left　the　city。　He　was　expected　to　return；　after　hearing　the　news；　but　he　seems　to　have　kept　straight　on　to　his　destination。　He　was　not　very　fond　of　his　wife；that　is；　they　have　not　been　living　together　for　the　last　year。　But　he　could　not　help　feeling　the　shock　of　her　death　which　he　must　have　heard　of　somewhere　along　the　route。〃

〃He　has　said　nothing　in　his　delirium　to　show　that　he　knew　it。　It　is　possible；　just　possible；　that　he　didn't　read　the　papers。　He　could　not　have　been　well　for　days　before　he　reached　Santa　Fe。〃

〃When　were　you　called　in　to　attend　him？〃

〃The　very　night　after　he　reached　this　place。　It　was　thought　he　wouldn't　live　to　reach　the　camp。　But　he　is　a　man　of　great　pluck。　He　held　up　till　his　foot　touched　this　platform。　Then　he　succumbed。〃

〃If　he　was　as　sick　as　that；〃　I　muttered；　〃why　did　he　leave　Santa　Fe？　He　must　have　known　what　it　would　mean　to　be　sick　here。〃

〃I　don't　think　he　did。　This　is　his　first　visit　to　the　mine。　He　evidently　knew　nothing　of　the　difficulties　of　the　road。　But　he　would　not　stop。　He　was　determined　to　reach　the　camp；　even　after　he　had　been　given　a　sight　of　it　from　the　opposite　mountain。　He　told　them　that　he　had　once　crossed　the　Sierras　in　midwinter。　But　he　wasn't　a　sick　man　then。〃

〃Doctor；　they　don't　know　who　killed　his　wife。〃

〃He　didn't。〃

〃I　know；　but　under　such　circumstances　every　fact　bearing　on　the　event　is　of　immense　importance。　There　is　one　which　Mr。　Fairbrother　only　can　make　clear。　It　can　be　said　in　a　word〃

The　grim　doctor's　eye　flashed　angrily　and　I　stopped。

〃Were　you　a　detective　from　the　district　attorney's　office　in　New　York；　sent　on　with　special　powers　to　examine　him；　I　should　still　say　what　I　am　going　to　say　now。　While　Mr。　Fairbrother's　temperature　and　pulse　remain　where　they　now　are；　no　one　shall　see　him　and　no　one　shall　talk　to　him　save　myself　and　his　nurse。〃

I　turned　with　a　sick　look　of　disappointment　toward　the　road　up　which　I　had　so　lately　come。　　〃Have　I　panted；　sweltered；　trembled；　for　three　mortal　hours　on　the　worst　trail　a　man　ever　traversed　to　go　back　with　nothing　for　my　journey？　That　seems　to　me　hard　lines。　Where　is　the　manager　of　this　mine？〃

The　doctor　pointed　toward　a　man　bending　over　the　edge　of　the　great　hole　from　which；　at　that　moment；　a　line　of　Mexicans　was　issuing；　each　with　a　sack　on　his　back　which　he　flung　down　before　what　looked　like　a　furnace　built　of　clay。

〃That's　he。　Mr。　Haines；　of　Philadelphia。　What　do　you　want　of　him？〃

〃Permission　to　stay　the　night。　Mr。　Fairbrother　may　be　better　to…morrow。〃

〃I　won't　allow　it　and　I　am　master　here；　so　far　as　my　patient　is　concerned。　You　couldn't　stay　here　without　talking；　and　talking　makes　excitement；　and　excitement　is　just　what　he　can　not　stand。　A　week　from　now　I　will　see　about　itthat　is；　if　my　patient　continues　to　improve。　I　am　not　sure　that　he　will。〃

Let　me　spend　that　week　here。　I'll　not　talk　any　more　than　the　dead。　Maybe　the　manager　will　let　me　carry　sacks。〃

〃Look　here；〃　said　the　doctor；　edging　me　farther　and　farther　away　from　the　tent　he　hardly　let　out　of　his　sight　for　a　moment。　〃You're　a　canny　lad；　and　shall　have　your　bite　and　something　to　drink　before　you　take　your　way　back。　But　back　you　go　before　sunset　and　with　this　message：　No　man　from　any　paper　north　or　south　will　be　received　here　till　I　hang　out　a　blue　flag。　I　say　blue；　for　that　is　the　color　of　my　bandana。　When　my　patient　is　in　a　condition　to　discuss　murder　I'll　hoist　it　from　his　tent…top。　It　can　be　seen　from　the　divide；　and　if　you　want　to　camp　there　on　the　lookout；　well　and　good。　As　for　the　police；　that's　another　matter。　I　will　see　them　if　they　come；　but　they　need　not　expect　to　talk　to　my　patient。　You　may　say　so　down　there。　It　will　save　scrambling　up　this　trail　to　no　purpose。〃

〃You　may　count　on　me；〃　said　I；　〃trust　a　New　York　correspondent　to　do　the　right　thing　at　the　right　time　to　head　off　the　boys。　But　I　doubt　if　they　will　believe　me。〃

〃In　that　case　I　shall　have　a　barricade　thrown　up　fifty　feet　down　the　mountain…side；〃　said　he。

〃But　the　mail　and　your　supplies？〃

〃Oh；　the　burros　can　make　their　way　up。　We　shan't　suffer。〃

〃You　are　certainly　master；〃　I　remarked。

All　this　time　I　had　been　using　my　eyes。　There　was　not　much　to　see；　but　what　there　was　was　romantically　interesting。　Aside　from　the　furnace　and　what　was　going　on　there；　there　was　little　else　but　a　sleeping…tent；　a　cooking…tent；　and　the　small　one　I　had　come　on　first；　which；　without　the　least　doubt；　contained　the　sick　man。　This　last　tent　was　of　a　peculiar　construction　and　showed　the　primitive　nature　of　everything　at　this　height。　It　consisted　simply　of　a　cloth　thrown　over　a　thing　like　a　trapeze。　This　cloth　did　not　even　come　to　the　ground　on　either　side；　but　stopped　short　a　foot　or　so　from　the　flat　mound　of　adobe　which　serves　as　a　base　or　floor　for　hut　or　tent　in　New　Mexico。　The　rear　of　the　simple　tent　abutted　on　the　mountain…side；　the　opening　was　toward　the　valley。　I　felt　an　intense　desire　to　look　into　this　opening；so　intense　that　I　thought　I　would　venture　on　an　attempt　to　gratify　it。　Scrutinizing　the　resolute　face　of　the　man　before　me　and　flattering　myself　that　I　detected　signs　of　humor　underlying　his　professional　bruskness；　I　asked；　somewhat　mournfully；　if　he　would　let　me　go　away　without　so　much　as　a　glance　at　the　man　I　had　come　so　far　to　see。　〃A　glimpse　would　satisfy　me　I　assured　him；　as　the　hint　of　a　twinkle　flashed　in　his　eye。　〃Surely　there　will　be　no　harm　in　that。　I'll　take　it　instead　of　supper。〃

He　smiled；　but　not　encouragingly；　and　I　was　feeling　very　despondent；　indeed；　when　the　canvas　on　which　our　eyes　were　fixed　suddenly　shook　and　the　calm　figure　of　a　woman　stepped　out　before　us；　clad　in　the　simplest　garb；　but　showing　in　every　line　of　face　and　form　a　character　of　mingled　kindness　and　shrewdness。　She　was　evidently　on　the　lookout　for　the　doctor；　for　she　made　a　sign　as　she　saw　him　and　returned　instantly　into　the　tent。

〃Mr。　Fairbrother　has　just　fallen　asleep；〃　he　explained。　〃It　isn't　discipline　and　I　shall　have　to　apologize　to　Miss　Serra；　but　if　you　will　promise　not　to　speak　nor　make　the　least　disturbance　I　will　let　you　take　the　one　peep　you　prefer　to　supper。〃

〃I　promise；〃　said　I。

Leading　the　way　to　the　opening；　he　whispered　a　word　to　the　nurse；　then　motioned　me　to　look　in。　The　sight　was　a　simple　one；　but　to　me　very　impressive。　The　owner　of　palaces；　a　man　to　whom　millions　were　as　thousands　to　such　poor　devils　as　myself；　lay　on　an　improvised　bed　of　evergreens；　wrapped　in　a　horse　blanket　and　with　nothing　better　than　another　of　these　rolled　up　under　his　head。　At　his　side　sat　his　nurse　on　what　looked　like　the　uneven　stump　of　a　tree。　Close　to　her　hand　was　a　tolerably　flat　stone；　on　which　I　saw　arranged　a　number　of　bottles　and　such　other　comforts　as　were　absolutely　necessary　to　a　proper　care　of　the　sufferer。

That　was　all。　In　these　few　words　I　have　told　the　whole　story。　To　be　sure；　this　simple　tent；　perched　seven　thousand　feet　and　more　above　sea…level；　had　one　advantage　which　even　his　great　house　in　New　York　could　not　offer　This　was　the　out　look。　Lying　as　he　did　facing　the　valley；　he　had　only　to　open　his　eyes　to　catch　a　full　view　of　the　panorama　of　sky　and　mountain　stretched　out　before　him。　It　was　glorious；　whether　seen　at　morning；　noon　or　ni