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and down the narrow； darkening trail。 No one in the fringe of alder ahead；
no one on the gullied slope behind。
〃O！ stranger！〃
This time a little impatiently。 The California classical vocative； 〃O；〃
always meant business。
I looked up； and perceived for the first time on the ledge； thirty feet
above me； another trail parallel with my own； and looking down upon me
through the buckeye bushes a small man on a black horse。
Five things to be here noted by the circumspect mountaineer。 FIRST；
the locality；lonely and inaccessible； and away from the regular faring of
teamsters and miners。 SECONDLY； the stranger's superior knowledge of
the road； from the fact that the other trail was unknown to the ordinary
traveler。 THIRDLY； that he was well armed and equipped。
FOURTHLY； that he was better mounted。 FIFTHLY； that any distrust or
timidity arising from the contemplation of these facts had better be kept to
one's self。
All this passed rapidly through my mind as I returned his salutation。
〃Got any tobacco？〃 he asked。
I had； and signified the fact； holding up the pouch inquiringly。
〃All right； I'll come down。 Ride on； and I'll jine ye on the slide。〃
〃The slide！〃 Here was a new geographical discovery as odd as the
second trail。 I had ridden over the trail a dozen times； and seen no
communication between the ledge and trail。 Nevertheless； I went on a
hundred yards or so； when there was a sharp crackling in the underbrush； a
shower of stones on the trail； and my friend plunged through the bushes to
my side； down a grade that I should scarcely have dared to lead my horse。
There was no doubt he was an accomplished rider；another fact to be
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noted。
As he ranged beside me； I found I was not mistaken as to his size； he
was quite under the medium height； and but for a pair of cold； gray eyes；
was rather commonplace in feature。
〃You've got a good horse there；〃 I suggested。
He was filling his pipe from my pouch； but looked up a little surprised；
and said； 〃Of course。〃 He then puffed away with the nervous eagerness
of a man long deprived of that sedative。 Finally； between the puffs； he
asked me whence I came。
I replied； 〃From Lagrange。〃
He looked at me a few moments curiously； but on my adding that I had
only halted there for a few hours； he said： 〃I thought I knew every man
between Lagrange and Indian Spring； but somehow I sorter disremember
your face and your name。〃
Not particularly caring that he should remember either； I replied half
laughingly； that； as I lived the other side of Indian Spring； it was quite
natural。 He took the rebuff； if such it was； so quietly that as an act of
mere perfunctory politeness I asked him where he came from。
〃Lagrange。〃
〃And you are going to〃
〃Well！ that depends pretty much on how things pan out； and whether I
can make the riffle。〃 He let his hand rest quite unconsciously on the
leathern holster of his dragoon revolver； yet with a strong suggestion to me
of his ability 〃to make the riffle〃 if he wanted to； and added： 〃But just now
I was reck'nin' on taking a little pasear with you。〃
There was nothing offensive in his speech save its familiarity； and the
reflection； perhaps； that whether I objected or not； he was quite able to do
as he said。 I only replied that if our pasear was prolonged beyond
Heavytree Hill； I should have to borrow his beast。 To my surprise he
replied quietly； 〃That's so；〃 adding that the horse was at my disposal when
he wasn't using it； and HALF of it when he was。 〃Dick has carried
double many a time before this；〃 he continued； 〃and kin do it again； when
your mustang gives out I'll give you a lift and room to spare。〃
I could not help smiling at the idea of appearing before the boys at Red
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Gulch en croupe with the stranger； but neither could I help being oddly
affected by the suggestion that his horse had done double duty before。
〃On what occasion； and why？〃 was a question I kept to myself。 We were
ascending the long； rocky flank of the divide； the narrowness of the trail
obliged us to proceed slowly； and in file； so that there was little chance for
conversation； had he been disposed to satisfy my curiosity。
We toiled on in silence； the buckeye giving way to chimisal； the
westering sun； reflected again from the blank walls beside us； blinding our
eyes with its glare。 The pines in the canyon below were olive gulfs of
heat； over which a hawk here and there drifted lazily； or； rising to our level；
cast a weird and gigantic shadow of slowly moving wings on the mountain
side。 The superiority of the stranger's horse led him often far in advance；
and made me hope that he might forget me entirely； or push on； growing
weary of waiting。 But regularly he would halt by a bowlder； or reappear
from some chimisal； where he had patiently halted。 I was beginning to
hate him mildly； when at one of those reappearances he drew up to my
side； and asked me how I liked Dickens！
Had he asked my opinion of Huxley or Darwin； I could not have been
more astonished。 Thinking it were possible that he referred to some local
celebrity of Lagrange； I said； hesitatingly：
〃You mean〃
〃Charles Dickens。 Of course you've read him？ Which of his books
do you like best？〃
I replied with considerable embarrassment that I liked them all； as I
certainly did。
He grasped my hand for a moment with a fervor quite unlike his usual
phlegm； and said； 〃That's me； old man。 Dickens ain't no slouch。 You
can count on him pretty much all the time。〃
With this rough preface； he launched into a criticism of the novelist；
which for intelligent sympathy and hearty appreciation I had rarely heard
equaled。 Not only did he dwell upon the exuberance of his humor； but
upon the power of his pathos and the all…pervading element of his poetry。
I looked at the man in astonishment。 I had considered myself a rather
diligent student of the great master of fiction； but the stranger's felicity of