The Forester's Daughter

us), gently declining to the east, a land of sage-brush, wheat-fields, and alfalfa meadows-a rather commonplace region now, given over to humdr

exico; from the other, the waters rush, uniting to make the mighty str

wave after wave of stupendous altitudes, each range cutting into the sky with a purple saw-tooth edge. The landscape seems to contain nothing but rocks and towering crag

bold summits of the chiefest mountains, and it is to guard these timbered tracts, growing each year more valuable, tha

th Forest, containing nearly eight hundred thousand acres of rock and trees, whose seat of a

l that he had never been in this valley before, and that h

and rather contemptuous, for the reason that he considered Norcross a poor consumptive, and a fool to boo

came down directly from Dome Mountain, and the young Easterner went to sleep beneath its singing that night. He should have dreamed of the happy moun

per, and thought how far he was from home and friends, he not only sighed, he shivered. The room was chill, the pitcher of water cold almo

thout tree or shrub to give shadow or charm of line-all was bare, bleak, sere; but under his window the stream was singing its glorious mountain song, and away to the

of the presence of many hunters and fishermen. The slovenly landlord was poring over a newspaper, while a discouraged half-grown

ional men from Denver and Pueblo out for fish and such game as the law allowed, and all in holiday mood. They joked the waiter-girls, and joshed one another in noisy good-f

land-Norcross recognized her type even before she came to him w

n at scho

om York State. I don't often get any one fro

, thinking this t

ing-and they's plenty of air

t. They wore rough shirts of an olive-green shade, and their faces were wind-scorched; but their voices held a pleasan

forestr

stry

s office is here, and

the Forest Service, and had been told that many of the rangers were college men. He resolved

expecting a letter of instructions from Meeker. He foun

you can't get up till day after to-morrow. You might

find the gover

very accommodating; they'll let you use it

ve it. The door being open, Norcross perceived from the threshold a young clerk at work on a type

f the Forest Supervis

tly answered: "It is, but the Supervisor is n

for a little outing. Perhaps you could tell me whe

ot far, some eighteen or twenty miles

d of a pl

u'll like it. Real

keen and clear eyes. His voice, though strongly nasal, possesse

aven't had time to se

ranger in a s

r your

over a severe illness, and I'm up here to

r surveying crews for a week and I'll mellow that suit of yours and make a re

of Eli.' Last

.' I'm up here doing some estimating and surveying for a big ditch they're putting in. I was rather in hopes y

itted Norcross. "My father is in the lumber busi

s 'em, d

elped devasta

he kind. Why not make yourself

t thought of that. It woul

y in the work; but it's about the most enl

one was that of a highly trained specialist. "I rode

rvisor's

a fine Wes

wide swath up here. Being an only child she's both son and daughter to McFarlane. She kno

to take up valuable time. He said: "Will y

day or so-or use the mails. You're too late for to-day's stage, b

formidable to the Eastern youth. Thunderous clouds hung low upon the peaks, and the great crags to left and right of the not

over that range in the night-if you jo

rom her horse. It was Berea McFarlane. "Good morning, Emery," she called to the surv

he replied

y s

pointed in

matter wit

it to be-well, different. It's

sless yards. "It isn't very pretty, that's a fact; but you can always forge

any word from Meeker, and I c

ed somewhere; but they've sent a m

Supervisor?

s cutting. How are you ge

have 'em all in s

You'll find the papers two or three days old," she smiled. "We ne

m his previous conception of her that he was puzzled. She had the directness and the brevity

y reason of the display of her proficiency as a clerk. "I wish she would

"Come in again later. We ma

some letters. His disgust of the town was lessened by the presence of that handsome

er meals at the hotel or not, the expert replied: "No, she goes home. The ranch is only a fe

houldn't think she would. I'd ride ten miles a

s. "She's a mighty fine girl, and I join the boys in

d that way?"

ey have all tried to bulldoze Landon, our ranger over there. By the way, you'll like Landon. He's a Harvard man, and a good ranger. His shack is only a half-mile from Meeker's house. It's a pretty well-know

he day before, was quite ready to give up his trip to Meeker. After the men went back to work he wandered about t

's stil

McFarlan

rk to do at home. This i

ll the parts

ell as another. She can rope and tie a stee

me she plays

but it's one of those you

weirdly gifted as it is." After a moment he b

nothing

ou do for

listen to a wretched sermon in the log church. The rest of the time you work or loaf in t

es

ll have sense enough to use these mountains

families connected with the mill to the north, the villagers were poor, thriftless, and uninteresting. They were lacking in the p

tter or message from Meeker. He found neither; but as he was standing in the door undecided about takin

she called out: "Well, how

, in an attempt to mat

ke our tow

t the hills ar

rned up fro

from there. The telephone

the stage-driver asking us to keep an eye out for you

of you; but it's a

s, anyhow, and you'll like the ride

eir bridle-reins hanging on the gro

one, and send Mr. Norcross's packs by the fi

I can get it

citement, and in twenty minute

said Berea. "Old Paint-face

at he had at least been instructed in range-horse psychology, a

ou're sad

in a riding-school,"

iced protest: "You oughtn't to ride old Paint.

" she said, and s

rush, but she smilingly called back: "All set.

orgotten his depression, his homesickness of the morning. The valley was again enchanted ground. Its vistas led to lofty heights. The air was regen

ds of grain for a mile or two, Berea swung into a s

f-log, half-slab house, which stood on the ba

explained. "All the meado

beef-bones, bleaching skulls, and scraps of sun-dried hides littered the ground or hung upon the fence. Exteriorly the low cabin made a drab, depressing picture; but as he aligh

the tourist I told you

endly impulse. "I'm very glad to meet you, sir.

Meeker from a friend of mine who hun

know him very well.

st the log wall, and books and magazines, dog-eared with use, littered the table; and Norcross, feeling the force of Nash's

Joe's for dinner we'd better be scratching the hills."

r's plan, and the young people rode off togeth

unafraid, nodded in acquiescence. "Here is the line," she called a few minutes

he boundary of the Bear Tooth National Forest, and pleaded with all men to be watchf

d on the hillsides in scattered bands like elk. Here and there a small cabin stood on the ba

would have done. She seemed not to be embarrassed in the slightest degree by the fact that she was guiding a strange man over a lonely road,

eve I brought any. I've a leat

have a slicker, no fancy 'raincoat,' but a real old-fashioned cow-puncher's oilskin. They m

was really worrying about him. "Poor chap," she said to herself. "He can't stand

y gray, and the woodland path was dark and chill. The mountains were not less beautiful; but they wer

d her saddle was a tightly rolled bundle which, being untied and shaken out,

ested, "I can't

o weather. Put this on over your jacket and all. You'll need

irl's splendid color, nor reduce her vitality one degree, while to him it might be a death-warrant. "You could throw me o

railer, don't you?" he said, ruefu

he replied, tolerantly. "Stay here a ye

d rode steadily on, while he followed, plunged in gloom as cold and gray as the storm. The splitting crashes of thunder echoed from the high peaks like the voices of siege-gu

he girl called back, her face shining like

rm light again, and in spite of himself Norcross returned her sm

and skirt turn water pretty well. I'll be dry in a j

o her, he again apologized. "I feel like a pig. I don't see how I came to do it. The thunder and the chill scared me, that'

d. "I'm used to all kinds of wea

e to the southeast, which took his breath. "Isn't that supe

d her heart. The men she knew had so few words for the beautiful in life. She wondered whether this man's illnes

the road. The place was distinguished not merely by its masonry, but also by its picket fence, which had once been whitewashed. Farm-wagons of various degrees of decay stood by th

ring to the fence, followed by a big, slovenly d

he girl, in offhand boyish f

eeker, gravely. "What bri

boarder who wants to le

'm glad to see ye. Light off and make yourself to home. T

ollowed the slouchy old rancher into the unkempt y

m, a long and rather narrow room, wherein a woman and six or seven

eker. "Here's Berrie, and I'll bet

admitted her husband. "

or him yourself, you b

band, greeted Norcross warmly, and mad

company a chance," she commanded, shar

h a red oil-cloth, and set with heavy blue-and-white china. The forks were two-tined, steel-pronged, and not very polished, and the food was of the simplest sort; bu

after deliberation, remarked: "All right, we'll do the best we ca

lied Berrie. "What he need

id one of the herders, who sat below t

ng and demanded so few of the rights and privileges of a girl. The men all admired her, that was evident, almost too evident, and one or two of the older men felt the charm of her young womanhood too deep

ort-and the big sitting-room was littered with magazines both English and American, and his talk abounded in radical and rather foolish utterances. Norcross considered it the most disorderly ho

, but they all eyed the new-comer with disfavor. The fact that Berrie had brought him and that she seemed interested in him added

Frank she privately said: "Now you fellows have go

"Oh, we'll treat him right.

f you try any of your tricks

part?" he asked, keenly. "Ho

ay, and he seemed so kind o' blue and lones

take all this ch

ghingly responded. "Mr. Norcross is a

oss-what's hi

yla

without being called 'pasty' he's in luck

he was to be shorn, so she gave over her effort in that direction, and turned to the old folks. To Mrs. Meeker she priva

o make friends with the men, her indignation rose against their clownish offishness. She understood fully that his neat speech, his Eastern accent, together with his tailor-cut clo

"but I must be ridin'." And while Meeker ordered her horse

aid, and his voice was vibrant. "You ha

olks up here, anyhow. This is no jaunt at all for me." And, looking at her powerful

l with her; but to this she objected. "I'm going to leave Pete here fo

ion of the effect her refusal might have on t

ckon you want to get

his new and strange surroundings as best he could, and wit