第39章

Curson's reputation was of a quality that made any form of apology from him instantly acceptable,the amused spectators made way for him as,recognizing Low,who was just leaving the hotel,he turned coolly from them and walked towards him.

"Halloo!"he said,extending his hand."You're the man I'm waiting for.Did you get a book from the exthpreth offithe latht night?""I did.Why?"

"It'th all right.Ath I'm rethponthible for it,I only wanted to know.""Did YOU send it?"asked Low,quickly fixing his eyes on his face.

"Well,not exactly ME.But it'th not worth making a mythtery of it.Teretha gave me a commithion to buy it and thend it to you anonymouthly.That'th a woman'th nonthenth,for how could thee get a retheipt for it?""Then it was HER present,"said Low gloomily.

"Of courthe.It wathn't mine,my boy.I'd have thent you a Tharp'th rifle in plathe of that muthle loader you carry,or thomething thenthible.But,I thay!what'th up?You look ath if you had been running all night."Low grasped his hand."Thank you,"he said hurriedly;"but it's nothing.Only I must be back to the woods early.Good-by."But Curson retained Low's hand in his own powerful grip.

"I'll go with you a bit further,"he said."In fact,I've got thomething to thay to you;only don't be in thuch a hurry;the woodth can wait till you get there."Quietly compelling Low to alter his own characteristic Indian stride to keep pace with his,he went on:"I don't mind thaying I rather cottoned to you from the time you acted like a white man--no offenthe--to Teretha.

She thayth you were left when a child lying round,jutht ath promithcuouthly ath she wath;and if I can do anything towardth putting you on the trail of your people,I'll do it.I know thome of the voyageurth who traded with the Cherokeeth,and your father wath one-wathn't he?"He glanced at Low's utterly abstracted and immobile face."I thay,you don't theem to take a hand in thith game,pardner.What'th the row?Ith anything wrong over there?"and he pointed to the Carquinez Woods,which were just looming out of the morning horizon in the distance.

Low stopped.The last words of his companion seemed to recall him to himself.He raised his eyes automatically to the woods and started.

"There IS something wrong over there,"he said breathlessly.

"Look!"

"I thee nothing,"said Curson,beginning to doubt Low's sanity;"nothing more than I thaw an hour ago."

"Look again.Don't you see that smoke rising straight up?It isn't blown over there from the Divide;it's new smoke!The fire is in the woods!""I reckon that'th so,"muttered Curson,shading his eyes with his hand."But,hullo!wait a minute!We'll get hortheth.I say!"he shouted,forgetting his lisp in his excitement--"stop!"But Low had already lowered his head and darted forward like an arrow.

In a few moments he had left not only his companion but the last straggling houses of the outskirts far behind him,and had struck out in a long,swinging trot for the disused "cut-off."Already he fancied he heard the note of clamor in Indian Spring,and thought he distinguished the sound of hurrying hoofs on the great highway.But the sunken trail hid it from his view.From the column of smoke now plainly visible in the growing morning light he tried to locate the scene of the conflagration.It was evidently not a fire advancing regularly from the outer skirt of the wood,communicated to it from the Divide;it was a local outburst near its centre.It was not in the direction of his cabin in the tree.There was no immediate danger to Teresa,unless fear drove her beyond the confines of the wood into the hands of those who might recognize her.The screaming of jays and ravens above his head quickened his speed,as it heralded the rapid advance of the flames;and the unexpected apparition of a bounding body,flattened and flying over the yellow plain,told him that even the secure retreat of the mountain wild-cat had been invaded.A sudden recollection of Teresa's uncontrollable terror that first night smote him with remorse and redoubled his efforts.Alone in the track of these frantic and bewildered beasts,to what madness might she not be driven!

The sharp crack of a rifle from the high road turned his course momentarily in that direction.The smoke was curling lazily over the heads of the party of men in the road,while the huge hulk of a grizzly was disappearing in the distance.A battue of the escaping animals had commenced!In the bitterness of his heart he caught at the horrible suggestion,and resolved to save her from them or die with her there.

How fast he ran,or the time it took him to reach the woods,has never been known.Their outlines were already hidden when he entered them.To a sense less keen,a courage less desperate,and a purpose less unaltered than Low's,the wood would have been impenetrable.The central fire was still confined to the lofty tree tops,but the downward rush of wind from time to time drove the smoke into the aisles in blinding and suffocating volumes.