the woman in the alcove-第12部分

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　an　intention　of　going　there　immediately；　I　was　given　what　I　thought　very　unnecessary　advice　and　then　directed　to　a　certain　livery　stable；　where　I　was　told　I　could　get　the　right　kind　of　a　horse　and　such　equipment　as　I　stood　in　need　of。

I　thought　I　was　equipped　all　right　as　it　was；　but　I　said　nothing　and　went　on　to　the　livery　stable。　Here　I　was　shown　a　horse　which　I　took　to　at　once　and　was　about　to　mount；　when　a　pair　of　leggings　was　brought　to　me。

〃You　will　need　these　for　your　journey；〃　said　the　man。

〃Journey！〃　I　repeated。　〃Fifteen　miles！〃

The　livery　stable　keepera　half…breed　with　a　peculiarly　pleasant　smilecocked　up　his　shoulders　with　the　remark：

〃Three　men　as　willing　but　as　inexperienced　as　yourself　have　attempted　the　same　journey　during　the　last　week　and　they　all　came　back　before　they　reached　the　divide。　You　will　probably　come　back；　too；　but　I　shall　give　you　as　fair　a　start　as　if　I　knew　you　were　going　straight　through。〃

〃But　a　woman　has　done　it；〃　said　I；　〃a　nurse　from　the　hospital　went　up　that　very　road　last　week。〃

〃Oh；　women！　they　can　do　anythingwomen　who　are　nurses。　But　they　don't　start　off　alone。　You　are　going　alone。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　remarked　grimly。　〃Newspaper　correspondents　make　their　journeys　singly　when　they　can。〃

〃Oh！　you　are　a　newspaper　correspondent！　Why　do　so　many　men　from　the　papers　want　to　see　that　sick　old　man？　Because　he's　so　rich？〃

〃Don't　you　know？〃　I　asked。

He　did　not　seem　to。

I　wondered　at　his　ignorance　but　did　not　enlighten　him。

〃Follow　the　trail　and　ask　your　way　from　time　to　time。　All　the　goatherds　know　where　the　Placide　mine　is。

Such　were　his　simple　instructions　as　he　headed　my　horse　toward　the　canyon。　But　as　I　drew　off；　he　shouted　out：

〃If　you　get　stuck；　leave　it　to　the　horse。　He　knows　more　about　it　than　you　do。〃

With　a　vague　gesture　toward　the　northwest；　he　turned　away；　leaving　me　in　contemplation　of　the　grandest　scenery　I　had　yet　come　upon　in　all　my　travels。

Fifteen　miles！　but　those　miles　lay　through　the　very　heart　of　the　mountains；　ranging　anywhere　from　six　to　seven　thousand　feet　high。　In　ten　minutes　the　city　and　all　signs　of　city　life　were　out　of　sight。　In　five　more　I　was　seemingly　as　far　removed　from　all　civilization　as　if　I　had　gone　a　hundred　miles　into　the　wilderness。

As　my　horse　settled　down　to　work；　picking　his　way；　now　here　and　now　there；　sometimes　over　the　brown　earth；　hard　and　baked　as　in　a　thousand　furnaces；　and　sometimes　over　the　stunted　grass　whose　needle…like　stalks　seemed　never　to　have　known　moisture；　I　let　my　eyes　roam　to　such　peaks　as　were　not　cut　off　from　view　by　the　nearer　hillsides；　and　wondered　whether　the　snow　which　capped　them　was　whiter　than　any　other　or　the　blue　of　the　sky　bluer；　that　the　two　together　had　the　effect　upon　me　of　cameo　work　on　a　huge　and　unapproachable　scale。

Certainly　the　effect　of　these　grand　mountains；　into　which　you　leap　without　any　preparation　from　the　streets　and　market…places　of　America's　oldest　city；　is　such　as　is　not　easily　described。

We　struck　water　now　and　then；narrow　watercourses　which　my　horse　followed　in　mid　stream；　and；　more　interesting　yet；　goatherds　with　their　flocks；　Mexicans　all；　who　seemed　to　understand　no　English；　but　were　picturesque　enough　to　look　at　and　a　welcome　break　in　the　extreme　lonesomeness　of　the　way。

I　had　been　told　that　they　would　serve　me　as　guides　if　I　felt　at　all　doubtful　of　the　trail；　and　in　one　or　two　instances　they　proved　to　be　of　decided　help。　They　could　gesticulate；　if　they　could　not　speak　English；　and　when　I　tried　them　with　the　one　word　Placide　they　would　nod　and　point　out　which　of　the　many　side　canyons　I　was　to　follow。　But　they　always　looked　up　as　they　did　so；　up；　up；　till　I　took　to　looking　up；　too；　and　when；　after　miles　multiplied　indefinitely　by　the　winding　of　the　trail；　I　came　out　upon　a　ledge　from　which　a　full　view　of　the　opposite　range　could　be　had；　and　saw　fronting　me；　from　the　side　of　one　of　its　tremendous　peaks；　the　gap　of　a　vast　hole　not　two　hundred　feet　from　the　snowline；　I　knew　that；　inaccessible　as　it　looked；　I　was　gazing　up　at　the　opening　of　Abner　Fairbrother's　new　mine；　the　Placide。

The　experience　was　a　strange　one。　The　two　ranges　approached　so　nearly　that　it　seemed　as　if　a　ball　might　be　tossed　from　one　to　the　other。　But　the　chasm　between　was　stupendous。　I　grew　dizzy　as　I　looked　downward　and　saw　the　endless　zigzags　yet　to　be　traversed　step　by　step　before　the　bottom　of　the　canyon　could　be　reached；　and　then　the　equally　interminable　zigzags　up　the　acclivity　beyond；　all　of　which　I　must　trace；　still　step　by　step；　before　I　could　hope　to　arrive　at　the　camp　which；　from　where　I　stood；　looked　to　be　almost　within　hail　of　my　voice。

I　have　described　the　mine　as　a　hole。　That　was　all　I　saw　at　firsta　great　black　hole　in　the　dark　brown　earth　of　the　mountain…side；　from　which　ran　down　a　still　darker　streak　into　the　waste　places　far　below　it。　But　as　I　looked　longer　I　saw　that　it　was　faced　by　a　ledge　cut　out　of　the　friable　soil；　on　which　I　was　now　able　to　descry　the　pronounced　white　of　two　or　three　tent…tops　and　some　other　signs　of　life；　encouraging　enough　to　the　eye　of　one　whose　lot　it　was　to　crawl　like　a　fly　up　that　tremendous　mountain…side。

Truly　I　could　understand　why　those　three　men；　probably　newspaper　correspondents　like　myself；　had　turned　back　to　Santa　Fe；　after　a　glance　from　my　present　outlook。　But　though　I　understood　I　did　not　mean　to　duplicate　their　retreat。

The　sight　of　those　tents；　the　thought　of　what　one　of　them　contained；　inspired　me　with　new　courage；　and；　releasing　my　grip　upon　the　rein；　I　allowed　my　patient　horse　to　proceed。　Shortly　after　this　I　passed　the　dividethat　is　where　the　water　sheds　both　waysthen　the　descent　began。　It　was　zigzag；　just　as　the　climb　had　been；　but　I　preferred　the　climb。　I　did　not　have　the　unfathomable　spaces　so　constantly　before　me；　nor　was　my　imagination　so　active。　It　was　fixed　on　heights　to　be　attained　rather　than　on　valleys　to　roll　into。　However；　I　did　not　roll。

The　Mexican　saddle　held　me　securely　at　whatever　angle　I　was　poised；　and　once　the　bottom　was　reached　I　found　that　I　could　face；　with　considerable　equanimity；　the　corresponding　ascent。　Only；　as　I　saw　how　steep　the　climb　bade　fair　to　be；　I　did　not　see　how　I　was　ever　to　come　down　again。　Going　up　was　possible；　but　the　descent

However；　as　what　goes　up　must　in　the　course　of　nature　come　down；　I　put　this　question　aside　and　gave　my　horse　his　head；　after　encouraging　him　with　a　few　blades　of　grass；　which　he　seemed　to　find　edible　enough；　though　they　had　the　look　and　something　of　the　feel　of　spun　glass。

How　we　got　there　you　must　ask　this　good　animal；　who　took　all　the　responsibility　and　did　all　the　work。　I　merely　clung　and　balanced；　and　at　times；　when　he　rounded　the　end　of　a　zigzag；　for　instance；　I　even　shut　my　eyes；　though　the　prospect　was　magnificent。　At　last　even　his　patience　seemed　to　give　out；　and　he　stopped　and　trembled。　But　before　I　could　open　my　eyes　on　the　abyss　beneath　he　made　another　effort。　I　felt　the　brush　of　tree　branches　across　my　face；　and；　looking　up；　saw　before　me　the　ledge　or　platform　dotted　with　tents；　at　which　I　had　looked　with　such　longing　from　the　opposite　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　t