They of the High Trails

town of Delaney (named after her husband, old Dan Delaney), came into the dining-room. Mrs. Delaney paused with a plate of steaming potatoes, and her face was a mask

limbin' the high places up the creek-to no purpis includin' that same accident? You min may talk and talk, but talk don't pay for petaties and bacon, mind that. For eight years I've been here and I'm

some spirit: "I've chashayed around these mountains ever since I got back from Californey in fifty-four and I know good rocks. I can't just lay my pick on the vein, but I'm d

at! Me windysills is burthened with

ney-but you must be pati

o' the five-and here you are after another grub-stake to go picnicking into the mountains wid. I know your smooth tongue-sure I do-b

idow delivered herself. To tell the truth, he had listened to these

ate her own fill at the splotched and littered table. The kerosene-lamp stood close to her plate and brought out the glow

"I like to stir you up, Maggie dar

im. He caught it deftly and inquired, guilelessl

have of me. Out wid ye! Grub-stake ind

d shuffled to the door. "I don't ne

an arm. "

ght into his smiling eyes. After a moment of silent laughter, and w

handsome girl, Maggie

h caused him to again sl

m, he took out his pipe and began to

ke over the eye; the widd

pipe, he took a piece of rock from his pocket. "

out: "Jee-cripes! Why, say! that's jest

as the placid reply;

-that can't come from high up. We're on the wrong trail. Think o' Cripp

are high-we've seen 'em

rent veins. This rock

u say to th

ther," he replied, and moved

er if he really has trailed that float to a st

man shivered with cold as well as with a sense of discouragement. For twenty years he had regularly gone down into the valleys in winter to earn money with which to prospect in summer-all to no purpose. For years Margaret Delaney had been his very present help in time of trouble, and now she had broken with him, and under his mask of s

the high ranges of the Crestones), and at last he rose stiffly and returned to the little sitting-room, where he found the widow in the midst of an argument with her

o about our assays?"

t somebody else to pay ye fer the privilege of workin'. Why don't ye work yer-silves-ye loots? Sit around here expectin' some wan ilse to

rs. Delaney's throaty voice and plain, blunt words. Opening the door timidly, he walked in

ang out: "Where ye

my bundles, I reckon. Can't a m

n' fer board. Put

Johnson lost his desire to laugh, for Bidwell looked pathet

out in the night without

I c'u'd. Ye thought ye'd ooze ou

e floor," he replied, with some firmness. "You ordered me out, didn't you? Well, I'm goin'. I can't pay you-you knew tha

got up and went out, leaving Bidwell free space

not squat there like a baboon." She pitched his bundles through an open door into a small bedroom. "Ye know where yer bed is, I hope! I do' know

ck on its hinges so sharp

sudden change in the climate. "She's come round before-and surprised me," he t

shine. She ignored all winks and nudgings among her boarders, and did not scruple to point out to Bidwell the cho

were lighting their pipes in the sitting-room. "He's converted the widow

he wants. Beats me what she find

so worse if he ha

and would have put his feelings into the best ter

it's there, find it. If it's not there, give o'er the search, for ye are

squared as he said: "I'm a-goin', Maggie. If I find it I'll come back

her face flushed with pleasure at the sincerity of h

ave, but I

t-ye didn't mean it before?

know what I mean-only you're

the compliment

buchadnezzar," he said, firmly. "I can'

break the measly head

tools, he moved off up the trail. The other men stood to watc

as look from the door as h