The Forester's Daughter

ed, so saddened, so cracked, and so splintered that its passengers entered it under protest, and alighted from it with thanksgiving, and yet it must have been built b

ed into the dust-brown and sage-green plain as defensively as a beetle in a dusty path. Nevertheless, it was an indispensable part of a ver

ar from an Eastern man's conception of a park. From Dome Peak it seems a plain; but, in fact, when clouds shut off the high summits to the west, this "valley" becomes a veritable mountain land, a tumbled, lonely country, over which an occasional horseman crawls,

ile flowing round all, as solvent and neutral setting, lies the gray-green of the ever-present and ever-enduring sage-brush. On the loftier heights these colors are arranged in most intricate and cunning pat

few years ago a pale young man (seated beside the driver) rode o

growled, after a half dozen attempts at conversation. Bill wasn't much t

seman became curious about the sl

re, anyhow-fishing or

lungs," answer

lungs into a coffee-can," retorted Bil

t" now became "a lunger." "Where

nect

new

The youth seemed real

re last fall that dealt out t

st. "You think I have

-I know it!" Bill

ple of horsemen racing from a distant ranch toward the road. It was plain, even to the stra

m a chase," s

little alarmed, "Wh

l. "Your eyesight is p

"My eyes aren't very go

de-rimmed sombreros and rode astride at a furious pace, bandanas flutter

surprise. "Why, howdy, girls, howdy!" he said, with an ass

d, freckled romp. "You know perfectly well that Berrie

aimed Bill. "I'd f

id. "You've been countin' the ho

ed from her horse. "Well, good-by

. Run do

. You c

to the ground and politel

mpanion called: "Be careful, Berrie, don

t he had made another mis

nt and sweetly accepted his hand.

s country girls are warranted to jump clean ove

ehicle, and Bill opened conversation with her by askin

," sa

s far back as

wn is th

! You know I'

got as far a

ssion on the tourist's mind; but he did not turn his head to look at her-perhaps he feared Bill's elbow quite as much as his guffaw-but he listened closely, and by listening learned that she had been "East" for several weeks, and a

WONDROUS PART OF THIS WILD

the splendid sky, and the hills glowed with ever-increasing tumult of color. Through this land of color, of repose, of romance, the young tr

the coach rolled down the hill to "Yancy's," w

their coolness still lingered in the ripples. The house, a long, low, log hut, was fenced with antlers of the elk, adorned with morning-glory vines, and s

offered a hand to assist his charming fellow-passenger to alight; and she, with kindly under

the young man said in explanation; "but I su

-it's

re born

; but I've lived here ever

you mea

," she laughe

d to be pretty. She smiled easily, and her teeth were white and even. Her hand he noticed was as strong as steel and brown as leather. He

d to see ye back! 'Pears like the country is just naturally goin' to the dogs without you. The dance last

is turn. "Ma's right, girl, the country needs ye. I'm scared

r. Well, how are ye al

e little old woman. "I'm just ab

work, and half the cook's b

e laid off her hat. "It's me for a d

watched her closely and listened to every word she spoke with a

unger' ain't goin' to forg

ou think he's

ink. One look at

"Poor fellow, he does look kind o' peaked; but this climate will bring hi

know Berea McFarlane. It was hello here and hello there, and how are ye between, with smacks from the

t favorite," he o

r Tooth. Good thing she don't want to go to

cheeks of her female friends with an air of modest deprecation. "Oh, you don't mean it," was one of her phrases. She enjoyed this display of affection, but it seemed not to touch he

t the dinner-table and yet remained unembarrass

ky admirer, "I'd be shot if I let

adly. "I don't

It's the other feller-l

ough and tough enough to tu

: "I'll board ye free, Berrie, if you'll jest naturally turn up here regular at

at they came from ranches scattered up and down the stage line twenty, thirty miles apart-to be neighbors in this country means to be anywhere with

he girl came out to take her place, Norcross s

ously. "No, thank you, I ca

e frankly amorous driver, who neglected no opportunity to be personal; th

Eastern student. Bill had a vast knowledge of the West, but a distressing habit of repetition. He was self-conscious, too, for the reason that he was really talking for the benefit of the

right and left increasing in grandeur each hour, till of a sudden and in a deep valley on the bank of ano

d dragged it into the cabin. The girl rose, stretched herself, and said:

th you?" ask

ing! Com

spanned the flood, the tourist exclaimed: "

now," she answered, impresse

he passed on, he followed. The opposite hill was sharp and the road stony,

unlovely as Egyptian mummies, fantastic, dwarfed and blackened, these unaccountable creatures clung to the ledges. The dead mingled horribly with the living, and when the wind arose-the wind t

ly place!" he exclaimed, in a low voice. "I

time her face showed something other than childish good nature and a sense of humor. "I

and withered trees-bright, impermanent youth confronting time-defaced and wind

asserted itself. Norcross, looking back down upon the cedars, which at a distance resembled a

novelty of this query. "I never tho

n for all these plan

e," she replied, with charming humor. "We don't even wor

ith new intimacy. "Where

. You're from the East, Bill s

t finished at Yale. Have

mother came from the South-she was born in Kentucky-that accounts for my name, and

r a state; it is only a

ography calls it '

mes. New York has absorbed all o

ere. Your whole country looks like t

ever been

once; but I was only a yearling, and don't remember much ab

g, and my doctor said I'd better come out here for a while and bu

oe Meeker is kind o' related to me-uncle by marriage. He

that," he said, pointedly. "Perhaps I shall be permitted to see y

eeker's boys will keep you i

ou'd been alone, young feller, I'd 'a' give you a chase." His resentmen

ills gained in majesty. Great new peaks came into view on the right, and the lofty cliffs of the Bear Tooth r

could be seen. The valley lay as it had lain for thousands of years, repeating its forests as the meadows of the lower levels send forth their annual grasses. Norcross

on, called out: "Grab a root, everybody, it

et to purple-black, the stage rumbled and rattled and rushed down the winding road through thickening signs of civiliz

mor, her superb physical strength and her calm self-reliance appealed to him, and the more dangerously, because he was so well awa

lled: "Hello, there!" and a tall fellow

was impossible that so attractive a girl should be unattached, and the kn

nd again he thrilled to its amazing power. It was small, but it was like a steel clamp. "Stop in on your way to Meeker's," sh

e returned, wit

orcross heard he

er, "A poor 'lunger,' bound for Meeker's-and Kingdom

ast minute," remarked the ra